i 


MEMOIRS 


OP 


MRS.  RUTH  PATTEN, 


HARTFORD,  CONN. 


WITH  LETTERS  AND  INCIDENTAL  SUBJECTS. 


BY  WILLIAM  PATTEN,  D.  D- 


"  An  old  disciple." — Acts  xxi.  16. 


HARTFORD: 

PRINTED  BY  P.  CANFIELD. 

1834. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1833,  by 
WILLIAM  PATTEN,  in  the  Clerk's  office  of  the  District  Court  of 
Connecticut. 


CONTENTS. 


PART  I. 

Page 
FROM  HER  BIRTH    TO  HER  MARRIAGE. 

Her  parentage  and  early  education         .    .     . •••,      .         6 
Her  religious  experience,  as  related  in  her  public 

profession         ...        „  .      .         .         .12 
Her  early  character  and  employment     .         .         .15 


PART  II. 

FROM  HER  MARRIAGE  TO  THE  DEATH  OF  HER  HUSBAND. 

Sketch  of  Rev.  William  Patten  .  .  .  .18 
Residence  of  Mrs.  Patten  in  Halifax ;  with  the  edu 
cation  of  her  children  ;  ,4^  .  .  .  20 
Removal  to  Hartford,  and  manner  of  life  .  .  26 
Death  of  her  eldest  son  .  .  .  .;  ^.  32 
Dismission  of  Mr.  Patten  from  his  pastoral  relation  .  39 
Death  of  Mrs.  Patten's  servant  .  «  »  .  40 
Death  of  her  youngest  son  .  .  •  .  .  41 
Sickness  of  her  husband,  and  journey  to  Roxbury  .  43 
Her  return,  and  the  death  of  her  husband  i  .  45 
Concluding  sketch  of  Mr.  Patten  .  ,  , .'  48 


PART  111. 

FROM  THE  DEATH  OF  HER  HUSBAND  TO  HER  OWN  DECEASE. 

Her  circumstances  after  the  death  of  her  husband  .       49 
The  decease  of  her  youngest  daughter    ...       58 


IV  CONTENTS. 

Her  visit  to  her  father  in  his  last  sickness  .  .  59 
The  remarkable  deliverance  of  her  eldest  son  .  61 
Her  residence  in  Newport,  R.  I.  .  .  .68 

Her  return,  and  the  commencement  of  a  school  by 

her  daughters,  and  assisted  by  her  younger  son  .  .69 
Her  hospitality  and  liberality  .  .  .  .74 
Brought  near  to  death  by  two  visitations  .  .  80 
The  sickness  and  death  of  her  younger  son  .  v.  83 
The  succeeding  scenes  and  experiences  of  her  life, 

till  her  death 87 

Poetical  tributes  to  her  memory, 

By  A .      ^    ,          .          .          .          .96 

By  Mrs.  Sigourney        .       r ,    .     .         .         »'      98 
Extracts  from  a  funeral  sermon  delivered  by  her 

son          . 100 

Remarks   on  the  public  relation   she  gave   of  her 

Christian  experience  .         .         .         .         .108 

Her  family  connexions  .  v  .,         •     123 

Letters  ..  .128 


MEMOIRS 


OF 


MRS.  RUTH  PATTEN 


THE  following  Memoirs  will  not  bring  into 
view  a  woman  of  high  literary  attainments,  or 
who  moved  in  a  very  conspicuous  course  of 
public  usefulness ;  but  one  of  local  and  do 
mestic  habits,  of  good  sense,  of  kind  affec 
tions,  of  unaffected  piety,  who  was  a  blessing 
in  all  the  relations  she  sustained,  and  was  dis 
tinguished  for  fortitude  and  hope  in  every 
trial. 

Her  example,  in  being  adapted  to  those  in 
the  ordinary  walks  of  life,  may  be  more  ex 
tensively  beneficial,  than  if  she  had  moved  in 
a  sphere  in  which  but  few  can  expect  to  be 
placed. 

1 


O  MEMOIRS    OF 

As  her  duties  were  connected  with  the  va 
rious  scenes  and  relations  of  life,  instead  of 
selecting  and  exhibiting  them  as  distinct  traits 
of  character,  the  chronological  order  will  be 
observed,  of  considering  her — from  her  birth  to 
her  marriage,  from  her  marriage  to  the  death 
of  her  husband,  and  from  the  death  of  her 
husband  to  her  own  decease,  together  with 
those  incidental  subjects  which  belong  to  each 

of  these  seasons. 

1 

I. 

FROM    HER    BIRTH    TO    HER    MARRIAGE. 

Her  father  was  the  Rev.  Eleazar  Wheelock, 
D.  D.,  of  Lebanon,  Conn.,  whose  reputation  as 
a  faithful  pastor,  and  as  a  popular  and  power 
ful  preacher  in  itinerant  excursions,  is  not 
yet  forgotten ;  though  he  is  better  known  as 
the  founder  of  Moor's  charity  school,  in  favor 
of  civilizing  and  christianizing  the  Indians, 
and  of  Dartmouth  College  in  N.  H.  primarily 
intended  for  the  education  of  Missionaries, 
and  of  young  men  for  the  ministry ;  which  re 
main  as  monuments  of  his  Christian  enterprize 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  7 

and  benevolent  exertions.  It  may  be  proper 
to  remark,  that  his  private  piety  corresponded 
to  his  public  acts.  The  writer  heard  him  say, 
not  long  before  his  death,  that  it  was  his  cus 
tom,  after  the  labors  of  the  day  were  con 
cluded,  to  retire  for  self-examination,  and 
that  for  twenty  years  he  had  not  laid  aside  his 
clothes  at  night,  without  being  willing  never 
to  put  them  on  again. 

Her  mother  was  Sarah,  a  daughter  of  the 
Rev.  John  Davenport,  first  minister  of  Stam 
ford,  Conn.,  who  was  son  of  the  Rev.  John 
Davenport,  founder  and  pastor  of  the  first 
church  in  New  Haven,  and  afterwards  pastor 
of  a  church  in  Boston,  Mass.,  both  of  whom 
were  men  of  ability  and  eminence,  especially 
the  latter,  who  had  great  influence  in  the  civil 
and  ecclesiastical  affairs  of  New  England. 

When  Dr.  Wheelock  married  this  daughter, 
she  was  the  widow  of  a  Mr.  Maltby,  of  New 
Haven,  by  whom  she  had  three  children,  a  son 
and  two  daughters.  The  son  was  educated 
for  the  ministry,  and,  for  a  number  of  years, 
was  the  much  loved  pastor  of  a  church  in  Ber- 


8  MEMOIRS    OF 

muda,  West  Indies.  He  afterwards  removed 
to  Charleston,  S.  C.  One  of  the  daughters 
died  in  youth,  an  example  of  patience  and 
piety ;  the  other  married  Dr.  Betts,  of  Nor- 
walk,  Conn.  The  descendants  of  the  son  and 
this  daughter  are  respectable,  and  reside  in 
each  of  those  places. 

Mrs.  Sarah  Wheelock  was  a  woman  of  a 
meek  and  quiet  spirit,  active  in  duty,  patient 
in  trial,  given  to  hospitality.  So  endeared 
was  she  to  her  husband,  by  her  natural  and 
moral  qualities,  that  her  gravestone  bears  the 
inscription,  that  her  character  was  too  estimable 
for  an  epitaph. 

She  had,  by  this  marriage,  four  children ; 
Theodora,  who  married  Alexander  Phelps, 
Esq.  of  Hebron,  Conn.,  afterwards  of  Oxford, 
N.  H. ;  Ruth,  the  subject  of  the  present  me 
moir  ;  and  Ralph,  who  was  an  assistant  of  his 
father,  and  an  acceptable  preacher  of  the  gos 
pel  ;  but  in  consequence  of  epilepsy  from  early 
life,  he  was  disqualified  for  becoming  a  stated 
pastor,  and  finally  for  any  useful  labors. 

Ruth  Wheelock  was  born  March  4th,  1740. 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN. 

She  was  an  intelligent,  docile  child ;  and  in 
her  early  years  received  all  those  advantages 
of  education,  which  the  schools  in  her  native 
village  could  fupish.  In  addition  to  these 
instructions,  she  was  placed,  for  a  time,  in  the 
family  of  the  Rev.  Timothy  Edwards  of  Wind 
sor,  Conn.,  two  of  whose  daughters  taught  a 
select  school  for  needle  work,  composition, 
and  various  branches  of  mental  and  moral 
improvements,  in  which  this  pupil  made  com 
mendable  proficiency,  and  was  highly  es 
teemed  and  beloved  by  the  family,  and  by  all 
who  were  acquainted  with  her. 

She  early  attained  maturity.  At  fourteen 
years  of  age,  she  might,  for  stature  and  dis 
cretion,  be  reputed  eighteen*  From  her  own 
good  sense  and  taste,  as  well  as  from  the  ex 
ample  of  those  with  whom  she  associated,  she 
acquired  a  delicacy  and  refinement  of  man 
ners,  which  highly  recommended  her.  She 
was  neither  presuming,  nor  bashful.  It  was 
not,  in  her,  the  "  perfection  of  art  to  con 
ceal  art ;"  but  she  acted  from  nature,  in 
manifesting  a  delicate  sensibility  and  what- 

1* 


10  MEMOIRS   OF 

ever  was  winning  in  conversation  and  ad 
dress. 

Her  education  did  not  disincline  her  from 
taking  a  part  in  domestic  affairs.  For  this 
she  had  an  opportunity,  as  her  father  had  en 
tered  on  the  plan  of  evangelizing  the  heathen, 
and  had  obtained  several  sons  of  chiefs  of  dif 
ferent  tribes,  and  from  time  to  time  the  num 
ber  was  increased. 

These  he  received  into  his  family,  and  ad 
mitted  to  his  table,  thinking  it  would  favor  his 
object  to  treat  them  as  his  own  children  ;  and 
he  took  several  young  men  to  educate  as 
school-masters  and  missionaries,  so  that,  at 
times,  his  family  amounted  to  more  than  thirty. 

In  the  scene  of  diversified  industry  and  care 
thus  opened,  this  daughter  cheerfully  engaged, 
and  was  unceasing  and  untiring  in  her  opera 
tions.  She  never  complained,  was  always 
alert,  and  appeared  with  a  cheerful  counte 
nance,  though  she  often  abridged  her  hours 
of  rest ;  and  the  result  of  her  diversified  en 
gagements  appeared,  in  some  instances,  al 
most,  a  prodigy. 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  11 

Her  father  she  highly  venerated  and  loved. 
She  entered  warmly  into  his  views,  did  all  in 
her  power  to  alleviate  his  cares  and  promote 
his  designs.  So  lovely  and  deserving  a 
daughter  was  she,  that  he  said,  at  the  close  of 
his  life,  that  he  "  never  had  reproved  her  but 
once  ;  and  he  afterwards  found,  that  then  he 
was  under  a  mistake,  that  she  was  not  in 
fault." 

Her  naturally  active  and  pleasant  disposi 
tion  was  strengthened,  and  rendered  uniform, 
and  she  was  furnished  with  a  purer  and  higher 
principle  of  action,  by  early  piety.  Before 
she  was  fourteen  years  of  age  she  made  a 
public  profession  of  religion. 

Of  the  commencement  and  nature  of  her 
religious  experience  there  is  no  other  record, 
than  the  public  relation  she  gave,  on  admission 
to  the  church.  Though  in  relations  of  this 
kind,  which  were  then  generally  required, 
there  may  be  something  of  the  same  form,  yet 
it  must  be  believed,  that  they  expressed  the 
exercises,  which  were  peculiar  to  each  indi 
vidual.  That  which  was  offered  in  this  case 


12  MEMOIRS    OF 

may,  therefore,  be  considered  as  an  authentic 
account  of  her  conversion. 

The  following  is  an  abstract  from  the  re 
lation  : 

"  The  mercy  of  God,  in  giving  me  a  being 
and  education  in  a  land  of  gospel  light,  has 
appeared  to  me  very  great ;  and  I  think 
I  have  looked  back,  with  regret,  on  my  mis- 
improvement  of  distinguished  privileges  and 
advantages  ;  and  especially  seasons  and  means 
of  grace,  which  I  have  enjoyed  in  such  fulness. 
The  patience,  condescension  and  grace  of 
God  have  appeared  wonderful,  that,  after  all, 
he  should,  not  only  indulge  me  with  the  out 
ward  means  of  salvation,  but  strive  with  me 
by  his  Holy  Spirit. 

"  There  have  been  several  seasons,  of  late,  in 
which  I  have  been  awakened,  and  much  con 
cerned  respecting  my  eternal  state ;  but 
worldly  cares  have,  by  little  and  little,  crowded 
such  thoughts  and  interests  out  of  my  mind. 
But  about  ten  weeks  ago,  by  reading  a  book  of 
Mr.  Allen,  '  On  the  certainty  and  suddenness  of 
the  appearance  of  Christ  to  judgment?  I  was 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  13 

more  awakened,  and  more  deeply  impressed, 
so  that  I  could  take  no  comfort  in  any  thing, 
and  but  little  rest  day,  or  night. 

I  attempted  obedience  to  the  law  ;  but  did 
not  find  that  fruit  from  it  which  I  expected, 
either  in  good  works,  or  consolation.  My 
heart  was  without  that  love  which  the  law  re 
quired  ;  and  I  appeared  to  myself  far  from 
salvation,  and  not  even  in  the  way  of  it.  I 
was  blind,  and  my  heart  was  hard.  The  most 
weighty  and  solemn  considerations  possible, 
were  lost  upon  me  ;  and  I  saw  it  was  not  in 
the  power  of  means  to  change  my  heart ;  but 
that  it  must  be  the  work  of  God  ;  and  yet,  that 
the  voluntary  enmity  of  my  heart  to  God  and 
Christ  was  the  only  bar  to  my  salvation.  I 
saw  myself  to  be  in  the  hands  of  a  just,  righ 
teous  and  sovereign  God ;  and  myself  to  be  a 
most  hateful  creature,  fit  only  to  be  made  a 
vessel  of  wrath. 

"  In  the  evening,  while  walking  in  my  cham 
ber  alone,  in  great  distress,  thinking  of  giving 
my  heart  to  God,  wishing  I  knew  how  to  do  it, 
and  crying  to  God  to  teach  me,  and  enable  me 


14  MEMOIRS    OF 

to  do  it,  I  felt  a  love  for  Christ,  on  which  my 
distress  ceased,  and  I  was  filled  with  light  and 


"  This  I  did  not  suppose  to  be  conversion  ; 
and  when  I  went  down,  and  some  inferred, 
from  a  change  in  my  countenance,  that  my 
state  was  changed,  I  was  in  fear  of  their  mis 
take,  and  felt  concerned  that  my  concern  was 
gone.  Still  I  rejoiced  ;  I  could  not  help  re 
joicing.  My  heart  was  full  of  sweetness,  full 
of  love.  Christ  appeared  such  a  Saviour  as  I 
wanted  ;  and,  though  he  should  not  save  me, 
I  could  not  but  rejoice  in  him. 

"This  was  the  frame  of  my  heart,  in  general, 
till  the  next  Sabbath,  which  was  such  a  Sab 
bath  as  I  have  never  seen  before.  Then  I 
could  say,  A  day  in  thy  courts  is  better  than  a 
thousand  elsewhere  ;  and  hearing  a  discourse 
on  Assurance,  I  began  to  think  I  had  already 
experienced  a  saving  change. 

"  I  continued  comfortable  till  the  next  Sab 
bath  ;  and  then  my  joys  were  much  higher. 
My  heart  and  soul  said,  How  amiable  are  thy 
tabernacles,  O  Lord  of  hosts  !  I  chose  them 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  15 

for  my  abode,  and  wished  to  dwell  in  the  house 
of  the  Lord  forever.  I  was  grieved  when  the 
worship  of  God  was  finished,  and  that  the  time 
was  come,  when  I  must  leave  his  house.  I 
find  another  love  to  all  parts  of  religious  wor 
ship  and  duty,  another  love  to  saints  and  sin 
ners,  than  I  ever  had  before. 

"I  think  it  to  be  the  full  purpose  of  my  heart, 
to  forsake  all  sin,  even  whatever  is  displeasing 
to  God,  and  to  devote  myself  wholly  to  his 
service  and  glory  forever. 

"  I  desire  now,  publicly,  to  enlist  under 
Christ's  banner  ;  and  ye  are  witnesses  of  my 
solemn  vows  and  covenant  engagements  to  be 
the  Lord's  ;  and  will  be  witnesses  against  me, 
if  ever  I  forsake  him,  and  prove  false  to  his 
covenant." 

The  change  in  her  heart  and  views,  here 
stated,  did  not  produce  so  visible  a  change  in 
her  temper  and  conduct,  as  is  seen  in  some 
other  instances,  as  she  had  always  been  regu 
lar,  and  moral,  and  affectionate.  It  may  be 
repeated,  that  religion  did  not  suppress  these 


16  MEMOIRS    OF 

natural  affections,  nor  seclude  her  from  that 
social  intercourse  and  those  employments, 
which  are  proper  in  themselves,  and  which  her 
situation  required. 

Natural  affections  are  an  important  and  ex 
tensive  medium  of  exhibiting  the  influence  of 
religion.  To  be  without  them  is  to  be  worse  than 
an  infidel,  since  an  infidel  may  have  natural 
affections  ;  the  want  of  them,  therefore,  shows 
the  influence  of  sin  beyond  the  mere  denial 
of  Christ. 

The  natural  affections  in  her  were  regulated 
and  strengthened,  and  the  expression  of  them 
rendered  more  consistent  and  uniform,  on  her 
being  sanctified.  In  the  ordinances  of  religion, 
and  all  the  means  of  Christian  improvement, 
she  manifested  a  lively  interest,  not  only  by 
the  regularity  of  her  attention  to  them,  but  by 
her  remarks.  She  was  most  pleased  with  that 
preaching  which  was  most  evangelical  and 
impressive ;  and  with  those  books,  and  that 
conversation  which  were  most  adapted  to 
inform  the  mind  and  warm  the  heart.  The 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  17 

light  of  the  sun  was  not  more  pleasing  to  her 
natural  eye,  than  the  light  of  truth  to  her 
soul. 

At  the  age  of  eighteen  she  was  considered 
one  of  the  most  accomplished  and  interesting 
of  young  women. 

It  was  to  her  credit,  that  it  was  never  her 
object  vainly  to  attract  the  attention  of  young 
men ;  and  if  she  had  not  opportunities  to  se 
lect  one,  as  a  companion  for  life,  she  never 
felt  a  preference,  till  she  received  the  offer  of 
which  she  accepted.  In  this  she  had  the  ap 
probation  of  her  father,  who  made  no  other 
objection,  than  the  fear  that  the  connexion 
might  not  be  lasting,  as  a  person  so  extraor 
dinary  must  soon  become  mature  for  a  higher 
world. 

II. 

FROM  HER  MARRIAGE  TO  THE  DEATH  OP  HER 
HUSBAND, 

She  was  married  June  9th,  1758,  to  the 
Rev.  William  Patten,  pastor  of  a  church  in 
Halifax,  Plymouth  county,  Mass. 

2 


18  MEMOIRS    OF 

•  William  Patten  was  born  in  Billerica,  Mass., 
March  22d,  1738.  His  parents  were  Nathaniel 
and  Mary  Patten,  of  that  place.  They  were 
both  pious,  well  educated,  and  much  esteemed 
for  their  exemplary  conduct,  their  kindness 
as  neighbors,  and  the  interest  they  took  in 
whatever  called  for  their  sympathy  or  aid. 

They  had  three  sons  and  one  daughter,  all 
of  whom  sustained  good  characters,  and  were 
in  reputable  standing  in  society. 

William  was  their  second  son ;  and  from 
childhood  was  remarkable  for  his  observa 
tion  and  intelligence.  When  five  years  old, 
he  composed  a  sermon  on  the  first  verse  in  the 
Bible,  the  sentiments  and  connection  of  which 
excited  the  surprise  of  his  friends. 

His  parents,  with  the  hope  that  he  might 
be  a  preacher  of  the  gospel,  determined  to 
give  him  a  public  education  ;  and  to  facili 
tate  this  object,  removed  to  Cambridge  ;  and 
he  was  admitted  a  member  of  Harvard  Col 
lege  in  that  place,  when  about  twelve  years 
of  age. 

Through  his  collegiate  course  he  incurred 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  19 

>• 

no  censure  ;  but  was  highly  esteemed  for  his 
courteous  and  regular  conduct,  and  commend 
ed  for  his  diligence  in  study,  and  his  attain 
ments  in  the  various  branches  of  science.  He 
seemed  at  that  time,  and  through  life,  to  have 
an  almost  intuitive  perception  of  every  sub 
ject  to  which  he  attended,  so  as  to  have  little 
need  of  an  instructor. 

After  graduating  he  determined  to  devote 
himself  to  the  ministry ;  and,  as  was  cus 
tomary  in  those  days,  engaged  in  a  school  in 
Dedham,  Mass.,  and  pursued  his  theological 
studies  under  the  superintendance  and  advice 
of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Havens,  pastor  of  a  church  in 
that  place. 

Of  the  commencement  and  particular  cir 
cumstances  of  his  religious  experience,  he  has 
left  no  record;  but  that  he  was  then  a  Christian 
may  be  inferred,  from  the  favorable  opinion 
of  his  parents,  and  of  the  church  to  which 
he  became  united,  and  of  the  minister  under 
whom  he  studied.  It  may  likewise  be  in 
ferred,  from  a  confession  of  his  faith  present 
ed,  soon  after,  to  a  council  for  his  ordination  ; 


20  MEMOIRS    OF 

and  from  the  judgment  of  the  council,  as  it 
was  a  practice  to  examine  a  candidate  for  or 
dination,  in  his  experimental  acquaintance 
with  religion,  as  well  as  in  his  doctrinal  know 
ledge. 

Earlier  than  he  had  intended,  he  was  per 
suaded  to  enter  on  the  ministry  by  engaging 
in  an  occasional  supply  of  the  pulpit  in  Hali 
fax,  for  two  or  three  Sabbaths.  But  before 
the  time  expired,  he  received  a  unanimous  call 
from  the  church  and  people  to  become  their 
pastor.  The  objections,  from  his  youth  and 
inexperience,  were  over-ruled  by  the  importu 
nity  of  the  people,  and  the  advice  of  his 
friends ;  and  he  was  ordained  Feb.  2d,  1757, 
seven  weeks  before  he  was  nineteen  years  of 
age. 

The  people  of  Halifax,  from  the  character 
given  of  Mrs.  Patten,  anticipated  much  profit 
and  pleasure  in  her  society,  and  hailed  her  ar 
rival  with  great  joy.  To  say  the  least,  they 
were  not  disappointed.  Her  agreeable  ap 
pearance  and  manners,  her  familiar  inter 
course  with  them,  her  hospitality,  her  chris- 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  21 

tian  example,  and  the  interest  she  took  in  their 
welfare,  rendered  her  an  object  of  universal 
respect  and  love. 

She  here  became  the  mother  of  five  chil 
dren,  Eleazar  Wheelock,  Sarah,  William, 
Ruth  and  Mary,  to  whom  she  attended  with 
the  kindest  maternal  affection,  and  to  their 
instruction  in  religion  from  the  earliest  dawn 
of  reason. 

She  was  blessed  with  the  subdued  temper 
and  harmless  conduct  of  all  of  them  ;  so  that 
a  ministerial  acquaintance  once  said,  that  if 
any  children  were  free  from  original  depravi 
ty,  he  should  suppose  them  to  be  her's. 

The  eldest,  born  March  14th,  1759,  was  re 
markable  for  his  observation  and  early  piety. 
When  only  a  year  and  nine  months  old  he 
went  from  the  room  in  which  his  mother  was 
sitting,  and  called  the  maid  and  boy  in  the 
kitchen  to  come  to  prayer.  They  followed 
him,  and  seating  himself  with  great  serious 
ness  in  his  little  armed  chair,  he  opened  his 
child's  book,  and  made  as  though  he  were 
reading  a  portion  of  Scripture.  He  then 

2* 


22  MEMOIRS    OF 

arose,  and,  leaning  his  chair  against  his 
breast,  said,  "  Infinitely  great,  and  incompre- 
hense  Majesty."  Here  his  mother  checked 
him,  presuming  he  did  not  understand  the 
meaning  of  the  words,  which  had  probably 
been  used  by  his  father  in  the  morning  pray 
er,  and  that  there  would  be  an  irreverence  in 
his  proceeding. 

Three  years  after  this,  he  came  one  day  to 
his  mother,  trembling  and  with  anxiety  in  his 
countenance,  and  enquired,  "  What  he  should 
do  to  be  saved  ?"  Taking  him  on  her  knee,  she 
attempted  to  ascertain  the  ground  of  his  dis 
tress.  He  said,  "  he  was  a  sinner."  She  then 
spake  to  him  of  Jesus  Christ ;  of  his  dying  for 
sinners,  and  willingness  to  save  all  who  repent 
of  sin,  and  trust  in  him.  The  child  was 
quieted,  and  went  away. 

His  mother  did  not  apprehend  any  saving 
change  till  three  months  after,  when,  having 
spoken  to  her  little  family  of  the  character  of 
Christ,  she  added,  "  But  I  fear  that  not  one 
of  you  loves  him."  To  which  this  son  replied. 
"  I  am  sure,  Ma',  that  I  do."  The  hope  that 


MRS.    RUTH   PATTEN.  23 

he  did  love  him  was  confirmed  by  observing 
his  general  temper,  his  interest  in  devotion, 
and  his  consciousness  of  what  was  morally 
right  and  wrong  when  it  had  not  been  pointed 
out  to  him,  enquiring,  when  he  heard,  or  saw 
what  was  improper  in  other  children,  whether 
it  was  not  wicked  ? 

That  mankind  are  naturally  depraved  was 
believed  by  Mrs.  Patten  ;  and  the  doctrine,  if 
true,  lies  at  the  foundation  of  religious  educa 
tion.  That  the  doctrine  is  true,  appears  from 
Scripture,  in  which  it  is  taught  explicitly  and 
by  implication,  in  various  passages. 

The  gospel  dispensation  is  founded  on  the 
fact,  that  mankind  naturally,  or  as  related  to 
the  first  Adam,  are  in  a  state  of  sin  ;  in  cor 
respondence  to  which,  Christ,  as  the  second 
Adam,  is  represented  as  the  Saviour  of  all 
men,  and  especially  of  them  that  believe. 

Man  is  born  with  all  the  endowments  and 
faculties  he  will  ever  possess.  He  has  a 
body,  to  which  there  will  be  no  addition  of  a 
feature,  or  member  ;  but  only  a  growth.  He 
has  also  the  same  intellectual  and  moral  facul- 


24  MEMOIRS    OF 

ties,  which,  as  he  advances  in  age,  will  be  un 
folded  and  brought  to  maturity. 

If  a  child  have  intellectual  and  moral  facul 
ties,  there  must  be  some  exercise  of  them.  Its 
thoughts  are  not  the  thoughts  of  an  animal ; 
its  will  is  not  the  will  of  an  animal.  It  has  not 
a  responsibility  above  its  intellectual  capacity; 
but  to  say  that  it  has  not  a  moral  character  is 
to  deny  the  possibility  of  its  being  good,  cfr 
the  necessity  of  its  being  saved  by  Christ,  and 
leads  to  the  belief  of  its  annihilation. 

The  doctrine  of  the  natural  depravity  of 
man  does  not  require  the  belief,  that  any  who 
die  in  infancy  are  lost.  This  is  not  a  neces 
sary  consequence  of  the  doctrine  ;  nor  is  it 
asserted  in  Scripture,  as  a  ground  of  faith. 
But  the  doctrine  is  important,  as  furnishing  a 
subject  of  prayer,  and  a  principle  of  instruc 
tion,  that  the  opening  mind  may  be  referred 
to  Christ,  who,  as  the  only  Saviour  of  the 
world,  is  the  only  ground  of  hope. 

In  the  mysterious  course  of  Divine  Provi 
dence  Mr.  Patten,  after  a  ministry  of  nine 
years,  was  brought  to  the  conclusion,  that  it 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  25 

would  contribute  to  his  own  usefulness,  and 
be,  indeed,  for  the  benefit  of  the  people,  for 
him  to  remove  to  some  other  place.  To  his 
request  for  a  dismission,  there  was  a  general 
objection.  He  therefore  invited  a  council  to 
give  their  advice  on  the  subject.  But  it  ap 
peared  to  them  in  so  dubious  a  light,  that  they 
referred  it  back  to  him  and  the  church,  for  a 
determination.  As  he  continued  under  the 
persuasion,  in  which  he  thought  he  was  disin 
terested,  as  there  was  no  other  place  which  he 
had  particularly  in  view,  the  church  finally 
gave  their  consent ;  and  his  pastoral  relation 
to  them,  but  with  an  affectionate  and  full  re 
commendation  of  his  character,  was  dissolved 
September  5th,  1766. 

In  this  trial  Mrs.  Patten  meekly  acquiesced 
in  the  will  of  her  heavenly  Father,  though  she 
was  deeply  affected,  with  concern  for  the 
church  and  people  ;  and  that  the  prospect  of 
continuing  in  a  place,  so  endeared  to  her  in 
many  respects,  should  so  soon  be  closed.  But 
she  had  the  gratification  afterwards  to  know, 


26  MEMOIRS    OF 

that  the  object  of  Mr.  Patten  in  requesting  a 
dismission  was,  as  it  respected  the  people, 
realized ;  that  it  was,  indeed,  a  sacrifice  for 
their  good. 

Mr.  Patten,  after  continuing  at  liberty  about 
a  year,  received  an  invitation  to  become  col 
league  pastor  with  the  Rev.  Elnathan  Whit 
man,  of  the  South  church,  in  Hartford,  Conn., 
and  in  that  office  he  was  installed  September 
23d,  1767. 

That  this  situation  was  more  public  than 
the  one  he  had  left  did  not  recommend  it  to 
Mrs.  Patten.  But  it  was  agreeable  to  her 
as  it  brought  her  in  the  vicinity  of  her  father, 
and  in  connexion  with  some  who  had  formerly 
been  her  acquaintances  ;  and  she  was  willing 
to  exert  her  influence  in  doing  good,  in  a  more 
extensive  and  conspicuous  field  of  labor. 

As  there  were,  in  those  days,  but  few  bene 
volent  institutions  or  charitable  societies,  to 
give  encouragement  to  religious  enterprise, 
her  usefulness  is  to  be  considered  in  her  con 
duct  in  the  family,  in  her  intercourse  with  the 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  27 

church  and  people  with  whom  she  had  be 
come  connected,  and  in  doing  good  as  there 
were  other  opportunities  for  it. 

She  attended  to  every  domestic  duty,  par 
ticularly  the  religious  care  of  her  children. 
She  was  regular  in  observing  all  the  public 
ordinances  of  religion,  and  strict  in  domestic, 
and  so  far  as  can  be  known,  in  secret  devo 
tion.  She  was  very  hospitable  to  ministers 
and  other  guests  ;  and  in  the  parish  expressed 
a  suitable  regard  for  those  of  different  classes, 
and  in  different  circumstances.  She  was  not 
more  accessible  to  the  rich  than  to  the  poor. 
Though  wealth  and  refinement  have  a  claim 
to  respect,  yet  those  in  humble  stations  are 
equally  entitled  to  regard.  They  may  be  more 
benefitted  by  attentions,  and  often  receive 
them  with  more  gratitude.  A  minister  and 
his  wife  have  indeed  no  particular  rank  in 
society.  They  are  not  below  the  highest,  nor 
above  the  lowest  j  but  are  equally  related  to 
all,  as  they  are  devoted  to  the  spiritual  wel 
fare  of  all.  Of  this  Mrs.  Patten  gave  an  im 
partial  example ;  none  thought  that  she  des- 


ZO  MEMOIRS    OF 

pised  and  neglected  them,  nor  any  that  she 
was  disposed  to  flatter. 

Among  other  means  of  being  useful,  she 
undertook  the  instruction  of  female  people  of 
color,  inviting  them  to  her  house  several  even 
ings  in  the  week,  which  she  continued  much 
to  their  improvement,  till  discountenanced  by 
some  to  whom  their  services  belonged. 

She  maintained,  though  not  a  scrutinizing, 
yet  a  strict  and  habitual  watchfulness  over  her 
children.  She  conversed  with  them  daily  on 
religion.  She  required  them,  not  merely  to  pray 
by  repeating  forms  of  prayer ;  but  to  retire 
and  offer  their  thoughts  and  desires  in  their 
own  language.  When  able  to  read,  she  re 
quired  them  to  read  every  day  a  portion  of 
the  Scriptures.  She  often  importuned  them 
not  to  defer  religion,  but  resolve  that  they 
would  immediately  devote  to  it  their  attention, 
and  their  hearts.  Wherusjhe  put  them  to  bed 
she  would  converse  a^id  pray  with  them, 
kneeling  by  their  side.  \  Maternal  authority 
and  tenderness  were  so  blended,  in  these  ser 
vices,  that  the  children  were  pleased ;  and 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  29 

were  impressed  with  the  conviction,  that  what 
she  did  was  her  duty,  and  what  she  enjoined 
was  theirs. 

The  government,  in  general,  was  founded 
on  moral  principle.  She  forbad  nothing  which 
her  children  did  not  believe  to  be  wrong ;  she 
commanded  nothing  which  they  did  not  be 
lieve  to  be  right.  This  gave  scope  for  every 
reasonable  liberty  ;  and  she  was  loved,  as  very 
indulgent,  and  added  the  influence  of  con 
science  to  other  motives,  for  submitting  to  her 
restraints.  In  this  way,  she  rarely  had  occa 
sion  for  any  chastisement ;  and  in  maintaining 
order,  her  children  were  affectionate  to  each 
other,  and  to  her. 

She  was  a  woman  of  devotion.  It  was  her 
custom,  on  all  occasions,  to  resort  to  the 
throne  of  grace,  and  make  known  her  wants 
and  desires  to  God,  in  communing  with 
whom  was  her  delight,  and  in  whom  she  had 
filial  confidence. 

She  was  fervent  as  well  as  frequent  in 
prayer.  The  writer  recollects,  that  when  a 
little  child,  he  went  into  a  vacant  room,  and 

3 


30  MEMOIRS    OF 

heard  a  low  voice,  as  of  one  in  distress.  Ap 
proaching  the  apartment  from  which  the 
sound  proceeded,  the  door  of  which  was 
closed,  he  discovered  that  it  was  the  voice  of 
his  mother  in  prayer — in  prayer  for  her  chil 
dren,  that  they  might  be  brought  to  love  and. 
serve  God,  and  saved  from  everlasting  death. 
This  was  the  first  serious  impression  on  his 
mind  in  favor  of  religion.  He  felt,  that  it 
must  be  something  different  from  the  will  and 
desire  of  his  mother  ;  and,  in  itself,  of  infinite 
importance. 

She  was  scrupulous  that  her  emotions 
should  not  betray  her  secret  devotion ;  and 
she  would,  doubtless,  have  suppressed  them 
on  this  occasion,  had  she  not  supposed  that 
she  was  out  of  the  hearing,  even  of  a  child. 
Her  private  devotions  were  strictly  secret. 

In  her  intercourse  with  God,  she  had,  at 
times,  such  a  spirit  of  prayer,  that,  as  she  mo* 
destly  said,  she  seemed  to  know,  by  her  free 
dom,  or  restraint,  for  what  to  pray ;  that  what 
she  requested  was  granted,  and  what  she 
could  not  request  she  found  afterwards  could 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  31 

not  have  been  granted,  had  it  been  desired. 
This,  however,  was  limited  in  her  to  particu 
lar  cases,  as  it  doubtless  is  to  the  most  fa 
vored  Christians.  The  prayers  of  saints  are 
founded  on  the  promises  of  God  ;  and  imply 
the  desire  that  his  will  may  be  done.  Yet  it 
is  not  known  in  what  manner  his  promises 
will  be  accomplished:  what  particular  good 
will  be  denied,  or  evil  permitted  in  order  to 
their  fulfilment.  The  general  encouragement 
of  the  saints  to  pray,  and  their  consolation  in 
it,  consist  in  their  feeling  a  conformity  to  the 
will  of  God,  and  a  confidence  in  his  promises ; 
in  which  sense  it  is  certain,  their  prayers  will 
be  answered,  and  the  greatest  possible  good 
be  produced. 

Yet  when  God  intends  to  bestow  some 
particular  benefit,  or  to  avert,  or  remove,  some 
particular  evil,  he  may  excite  desires  in  his 
people  for  the  bestowment  of  that  benefit,  or 
deliverance  from  that  evil,  and  thus  answer 
their  prayers  for  particular  good.  Such  de 
sires  it  would  not  be  consistent  for  God  to 


32  MEMOIRS    OF 

deny ;  and  in  exciting  and  fulfilling  them,  he 
gives  a  special  proof  that  he  hears  prayer. 
But  there  is  reason  for  caution,  lest  the  ear 
nest  desire  of  a  thing,  should  be  considered 
an  evidence  that  it  will  be  granted.  The  de 
sire  may  originate  in  natural  affection,  or 
sympathy,  and  not  in  a  supreme  regard  for 
God,  and  the  interests  of  his  kingdom ;  and 
the  disappointment  of  the  desire  may  induce 
the  conclusion,  that  all  prayers  offered  by  the 
person  are  unavailing. 

Soon  after  the  removal  of  the  family  to 
Hartford,  they  were  brought  into  great  afflic 
tion,  by  a  calamity  which  befel  the  eldest  son. 
In  attempting  to  save  himself  from  a  danger 
ous  fall,  he  wrenched  his  back,  which  disabled 
him  from  walking,  and  brought  on  a  rapid 
decline. 

During  his  confinement  he  suffered  but  lit 
tle  pain  ;  but  his  situation  was  wearisome,  and 
attended  with  various  distresses  ;  through  the 
whole  he  manifested  sweetness  of  temper,  and 
calmness  of  mind,  submitting  to  God,  and  in- 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  33 

dulging  a  meek  hope  of  his  salvation.  He 
wrote,  and  repeated  with  feeling,  the  hymn, 
the  first  verse  of  which  is, 

"  Come,  let  us  join  our  cheerful  songs, 
With  angels  round  the  throne  ; 
Ten  thousand  thousand  are  their  tongues, 
But  all  their  joys  are  one." 

Not  long  before  his  death,  a  respectable 
neighbor  called  on  a  visit,  and  was  surprised 
to  see  him  so  emaciated  and  pale.  But  among 
other  things  for  his  consolation,  he  said,  as  he 
was  going  away,  "  Wheelock,  you  need  not  be 
in  fear  to  die,  for  you  have  been  a  very  good 
boy."  Mrs.  Patten  accompanied  the  gentle 
man  to  the  door,  and  on  her  return,  found  that 
her  son  had  covered  his  face,  and  was  weep 
ing.  She  inquired  if  he  were  in  pain  ?  As 
soon  as  he  could  compose  himself,  he  drew 
the  covering  from  his  face,  and  with  eyes  glis 
tening  with  surprise  and  tears,  replied,  "  No, 
mother  ;  but  only  think,  that  Mr.  S.  should 
say,  I  need  not  be  afraid  to  die,  because  I  have 
been  a  good  boy !"  His  mother  observed, 

3* 


34  MEMOIRS    OF 

"  You  know  better  than  that,  my  son."  He 
answered,  "  Yes,  mother.  I  know  that  Christ 
died  for  sinners;  and  that  I  need  not  be  in  fear 
to  die,  because  I  love  him." 

The  hour  of  removal  of  this  son  from  the 
world,  was  evidently  drawing  near  ;  but  it 
finally  came  in  a  sudden  and  unexpected  man 
ner.  One  morning,  without  any  previous  indi 
cations  of  the  change,  and  while  the  family, 
with  Dr.  Wheelock  and  several  other  ministe 
rial  friends,  were  at  breakfast  in  another  room, 
the  nurse  came  to  Mrs.  Patten,  with  the 
message,  that  her  son  wished  to  see  her,  im 
mediately.  She  hastened,  and  saw  an  altera 
tion  in  his  countenance,  and  that  he  panted 
for  breath.  He  said,  "Mother,  I  am  dying; 
do  call  my  father  to  pray  for  me."  All  went 
into  the  room.  After  a  few  questions,  prayer 
was  offered,  in  which  he  appeared,  abstracted 
ly  from  his  distress,  calmly  to  join.  When 
prayer  was  ended,  he  opened  his  eyes  ;  and 
inquiries  were  more  particularly  made,  respect 
ing  his  views,  and  the  ground  of  his  hope. 
In  his  replies  to  which,  he  said,  that  he  was 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  35 

willing  to  leave  his  parents,  and  friends,  and 
all  things,  to  be  with  Christ.  Another  prayer 
was  offered,  in  which  he  manifested  the  same 
composure,  and  interest.  He  then  opened  his 
eyes,  and  as  he  appeared  about  expiring,  his 
father  could  only  say,  "  Are  you  still  willing, 
my  son,  to  die  !"  To  which  he  replied,  "Yes, 
sir,  quite  willing."  On  assenting  that  another 
prayer  should  be  offered,  he  again  closed  his 
eyes,  and  gently  clasped  his  hands  ;  and  in 
the  midst  of  the  duty,  without  opening  his 
eyes,  or  any  struggle,  he  expired,  literally  "fall 
ing  asleep  in  Jesus."  He  was  then  but  ten 
years  and  ten  days  of  age. 

Great  as  was  the  consolation  of  Mrs.  Patten, 
in  the  decease  of  this  child,  it  was  a  providen 
tial  favor  that  her  father  was  present,  to  sympa 
thize  in  her  grief  and  encourage  her  faith  in  its 
struggle  with  natural  affection,  and  temporary 
privation.  The  trial  was  new,  and  difficult. 
Though  the  event  was  foreseen,  it  was  not  felt 
as  a  reality,  till  it  took  place.  The  death  of 
a  child,  in  any  instance,  is  one  of  the  greatest 
afflictions  ;  in  this  child,  there  was  every  en- 


36  MEMOIRS   OF 

clearing  quality  ;  and  hope  opened  the  pros 
pect  of  his  being  a  solace  to  her,  a  blessing  to 
the  family,  an  ornament  to  the  church,  and  a 
light  in  the  world.  Yet  she  was  submissive. 
Becoming  gratitude  was  connected  with  her 
sorrow.  In  a  filial  temper,  her  feelings  ac 
corded  with  those  of  her  husband,  who,  on  re 
turning  from  the  funeral,  observed,  that  he  was 
"  glad  he  had  so  good  a  child  to  give." 

Beyond  the  force  of  language,  this  instance 
teaches  the  necessity  and  blessedness  of  trust 
ing  in  Christ  for  salvation.     As  Christ  is  the 
only  way  of  salvation,  it  is  much  more  easy  to 
lead  a  child  to  a  knowledge  of  this  way,  than 
convince  it  of  its  own  goodness.    By  flattery, 
a  child  may  become  self  conceited,    and  its 
fears  may  be  lulled  ;  but   it  cannot   be    con 
scious  of  goodness,  or  be  a  subject  of  the 
peace  of  God.     This   the  writer  can  testify 
from  experience  ;  for  when,  at  the  age  of  six 
or  eight  years,  he  was  told  that  he  was  good  ; 
and  when  some  parents  adduced  him  as  an  ex 
ample,  which  they  wished  their   children  to 
follow,  he   thought  they  did  not  know  him. 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  37 

He  was  surprised  at  their  candor,  or  rather 
their  ignorance.  He  felt  that  he  was  not  what 
they  supposed  him  to  be.  He  had  no  good 
ness  which  gave  him  confidence  before  God, 
or  rendered  him  willing  to  die. 

But  this  subject  may  be  better  illustrated 
by  a  case,  in  which  a  different  course  of  in 
struction  was  pursued,  from  the  one  adopted 
by  Mrs.  Patten. 

The  writer  knew  a  clergyman's  family,  in 
which  there  was  a  very  amiable  child,  eight 
or  ten  years  old,  who  was  in  a  decline.  One 
afternoon,  without  any  thing  having  been  said 
to  her  on  the  subject,  she  surprised  her  moth 
er,  by  saying,  "Though  I  have  wished  that  we 
might  all  die  together,  and  live  in  heaven  ;  yet 
now  I  dare  not  die  ;  for  I  fear  God  is  angry 
with  me."  Her  mother  replied,  "  Why  do 
you  think  so  ?  God  cannot  be  angry  with 
you,  for  you  never  did  any  thing  wrong  in 
your  life."  Not  being  able  to  convince  her, 
she  called  her  father,  who  repeated  the  assu 
rance  before  given  her,  that  she  had  done  no 
thing  wrong ;  that  she  had  always  been 


38  MEMOIRS    OF 

dient  to  her  parents  ;  had  been  kind  to  her 
playmates,  and  gone  to  meeting  on  the  Sab 
bath.  "  Still,"  to  use  the  words  of  her  mother, 
"  accustomed  as  she  was  to  place  implicit 
confidence  in  the  opinions  of  her  father,  it 
was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  she  was  dissua 
ded  from  her  apprehension  of  the  anger  of 
God."  She  was  rather  silenced,  than  convin 
ced.  She  was  cheered  with  no  assurance, 
though  she  expressed  no  fear.  What  an  open 
ing  was  here  for  the  parents  to  lead  the  mind 
of  the  child  to  Christ  I  And  how  readily,  and 
with  what  stability  would  it  have  found  peace 
by  believing  in  him. 

Mrs.  Patten,  while  resident  in  Hartford,  be 
came  the  mother  of  three  additional  children  ; 
Charlotte,  Nathaniel  Wheelock,  and  George 
Jaffrey.  After  the  death  of  her  son,  she  con 
tinued  regularly  her  customary  duties,  without 
any  incident  which  requires  to  be  recorded, 
till  the  dismission  of  her  husband  from  his  pas 
toral  charge,  which  took  place  in  November, 
1773. 

But  the  reader  will  pause  to  reflect,  that  in 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  39 

so  long  an  intermediate  space,  there  must  have 
been  many  delightful  expressions  of  Christian 
character,  in  one  so  devoted  to  God,  so  affec 
tionate  to  her  family,  so  faithful  in  all  her  re 
lations  ;  and  in  those  circumstances  of  joy 
and  sorrow,  which  must  have  occurred  ;  but 
these  must  be  left,  with  the  works  in  general 
of  the  saints,  to  the  disclosures  of  the  final 
day. 

The  council,  convened  on  the  dismission  of 
Mr.  Patten,  were  again  in  doubt,  as  to  the 
expediency  of  the  measure  ;  and  by  their  com 
mittee,  referred  it  to  his  option,  either  to  be 
dismissed,  or  left  in  good  standing.  He  chose 
to  submit  it  to  their  judgment.  It  appears 
by  their  result,  that,  considering  Mr.  Patten's 
age  and  eminent  gifts  and  ministerial  quali 
fications,  and  the  prospect,  from  the  want  of 
harmony  in  the  Society,  of  his  being  more 
useful  elsewhere,  their  opinion  was  in  favor  of 
his  going  away.  They  accordingly  pronoun 
ced  the  dissolution  of  his  pastoral  relation, 
and  recommended  him  to  the  churches  at 
large. 


40  MEMOIRS    OF 

The  afflictions  of  this  scene  were  followed 
by  various  troubles,  which  form  a  memorable 
portion  of  those  trials  which  Mrs.  Patten  ex 
perienced,  and  in  which  she  exhibited  the  sup 
port  and  consolation  of  divine  grace. 

A  colored  lad,  given  to  her  by  her  father 
at  her  marriage,  and  who  had  been  obedient 
and  useful,  became  sick,  and  died. 

Mrs.  Patten  had  particularly  labored,  during 
a  threatening  decline,  to  bring  him  to  a  sense 
of  his  situation,  and  a  knowledge  of  the  way 
of  salvation,  without  apparent  success. 

One  morning,  not  coming  down  as  early  as 
usual,  she  went  to  his  chamber,  and  found  him 
lying  on  his  bed,  speechless,  with  his  eyes  fix 
ed,  senseless,  and  just  expiring.  She  called 
for  some  of  the  family.  The  writer  was  one 
of  the  first  who  entered.  He  saw  his  mother 
walking  the  room,  wringing  her  hands  in  ago 
ny,  with  entreaties  to  the  Lord  that  he  would 
be  merciful  to  her  servant  ;  and,  if  possible, 
give  her  some  evidence  that  her  instructions 
and  prayers  had  not  been  in  vain. 
Very  soon,  the  servant  breathed  more  easy ; 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  41 

his  features  became  more  natural ;  his  eyes 
had  the  marks  of  intelligence  ;  and  he  turned 
them  mildly  on  his  mistress.  Sitting  down  by 
him,  she  said,  "  Obed,  did  you  know  that  you 
were  just  entering  eternity?  He  replied,  that 
he  did.  She  then  proposed  a  series  of  ques 
tions,  respecting  his  sense  of  sin,  his  views  of 
Christ,  and  of  the  invisible  world,  and  indeed, 
made  every  inquiry  which  she  would,  had  this 
been  their  last  interview. 

She  then  left  him  with  an  aged  attendant, 
and  went  down  to  prepare  him  some  drink. 
In  a  few  moments  she  returned  ;  and  Obed 
was  lying  perfectly  quiet,  and  apparently  look 
ing  at  the  window.  The  attendant  said,  "He 
is  better,  and  will  soon  be  able  to  arise."  But 
the  revival  he  had  experienced  was  granted, 
it  seems,  for  the  consolation  of  his  mistress, 
and  in  answer  to  her  prayer  ;  and  not  to  pro 
long  his  life  ;  for  the  stillness  in  which  he  lay 
was  the  sleep  of  death.  He  had  expired  with 
out  a  struggle,  or  groan,  or  any  thing  to  indi 
cate  his  departure. 

But  there  was,  at  this  time,  an  instance  still 
4 


42  MEMOIRS  OF 

more  deeply  affecting  to  the  natural  feelings 
of  Mrs.  Patten.  Her  lovely  son,  Nathaniel 
Wheelock,  a  year  and  nine  months  old,  had, 
for  several  days,  been  sick.  Its  pains  were 
occasionally  violent,  and  produced  convul 
sions.  In  one  of  these  paroxysms  it  expired, 
July  18, 1773,  while  the  pastor  of  the  church 
was  offering  a  prayer  at  the  funeral  of  the  ser 
vant,  Mr.  Patten  being  absent  from  home. 

Mrs.  Patten  spake  of  this  bereavement,  as 
rendering  her  more  like  "  a  fretful  child,"  than 
almost  any  thing  that  she  had  ever  experien 
ced.  The  temptation  to  murmur  was  great ; 
a  more  lovely  child,  in  appearance  and  tem 
per,  could  scarcely  be  taken  from  any  pa 
rent.  From  the  various  troubles  in  her  situ 
ation,  the  loss  of  this  child,  great  in  itself, 
was  felt  with  peculiar  sensibility. 

But  she  did  not  indulge  murmuring.  Hea 
vily  as  she  was  burthened,  she  knew  that  there 
was  superior  strength  on  high  for  her  support. 
Her  own  weakness  caused  her  to  look  with  the 
more  earnestness  to  God  ;  and  her  tears  did 
not  displease  him,  for  she  could  say,  "  The 


MRS.  RUTH  PATTEN.          43 

Lord  gave,  and  the   Lord  hath  taken   away ; 
blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord." 

When  Mr.  Patten  was  released  from  his 
pastoral  engagements,  application  was  made 
to  him  by  several  destitute  churches,  in  which 
he  officiated,  with  much  acceptance  ;  and  in 
one  of  them  there  was  a  prospect  of  his  re-set 
tlement;  but  while  engaged  in  the  public  servi 
ces  of  the  Sabbath,  he  experienced  a  sudden 
failure  of  voice ;  which  rendered  it  necessa 
ry  that  he  should  close  the  meeting.  Af 
ter  resting  several  months,  and  finding  no  re 
lief  to  his  voice,  he  despaired  of  resuming  the 
ministry ;  and  from  his  feebleness  and  infirmi 
ty,  he  was  induced  to  conclude,  that  his 
course  in  life  was  nearly  ended.  His  animal 
spirits  were  excessively  depressed  ;  but  what 
was  singular  in  such  a  case,  his  mental  and 
moral  exercises  were  regular  and  vigorous. 
The  apprehension  that  he  should  die,  gave 
strength  to  the  desire,  of  rest  in  the  grave,  and 
of  a  home  in  heaven.  The  depression  of  his 
feelings,  and  consequent  gloom  on  his  mind 
with  respect  to  the  world,  were  considered  by 


44  MEMOIRS    OF 

his  physicians  and  friends  a  disease ;  and  a 
change  of  scene  as  indispensable  to  his  re 
storation  to  health.  They  therefore  advised 
that  he  should  attempt  a  visit  to  his  parents 
and  relatives,  in  Roxbury  and  Boston.  With 
out  hope  himself,  but  from  regard  to  their  feel 
ings  and  opinions,  he  gave  his  consent. 

But  the  difficulties  of  the  undertaking  were 
great ;  and,  to  a  mind  less  affectionate,  and 
believing,  than  Mrs.  Patten's,  might  have  been 
thought  insuperable.  The  youngest  child 
was  but  a  year  old,  and  not  weaned  ;  her 
youngest  daughter,  five  years  of  age,  was  af 
flicted  with  a  complication  of  disorders,  and 
confined  to  the  nursery ;  she  knew  of  no  one 
with  whom  to  leave  the  care  of  the  children  ; 
and  the  family  was  without  income.  But  the 
journey,  both  from  the  exigence  of  Mr.  Pat 
ten's  case,  and  the  approach  of  winter,  could 
not  be  delayed. 

Making  the  best  arrangements  in  her  power 
for  a  short  absence,  intending,  after  arriving 
at  Roxbury,  to  leave  her  husband  with  his  pa- 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  45 

rents  and  relations,  and  then  return,  she  was 
soon  prepared  for  the  journey. 

The  writer  seems  to  see  his  father  walking 
on  a  board,  with  the  assistance  of  his  wife, 
from  the  threshold  of  the  door  to  the  chaise, 
with  a  seat  prepared  for  himself  at  their  feet, 
as  it  was  thought  he  might  be  of  use  to  them. 

By  short  stages,  and  intervening  days  of 
rest,  it  was  more  than  three  weeks  before  they 
arrived  within  thirty  miles  of  Roxbury.  The 
resolution  of  Mr.  Patten  then  failed ;  and  it 
seemed  to  him  cruelty  to  urge  him  to  proceed. 

Leaving  him  to  the  care  of  the  family  who 
kept  the  public  house,  she  hastened,  with  her 
son,  to  Roxbury.  His  friends,  informed  of  his 
situation,  procured  a  carriage,  in  which  they 
placed  a  bed.  With  this  accommodation  he 
was  brought,  without  .much  inconvenience,  to 
those  to  whom  he  was  endeared  by  the  near 
est  relative  ties.  "  Is  this  my  son  ?"  said  his 
mother,  as  they  were  conveying  him  into  the 
house  :  "  O,  my  son  !" 

Mrs.  Patten  remained  with  him  two  weeks; 
and  seeing  no  increase  of  unfavorable  symp- 

4* 


46  MEMOIRS    OF 

toms  she  readily  complied  with  his  desire,  and 
the  opinion  of  their  friends,  to  return  and  see 
the  state  of  the  children. 

It  was  winter,  and  the  ground  was  covered 
with  an  unusual  depth  of  snow,  which  render 
ed  the  journey,  in  a  carriage  with  wheels,  dif 
ficult,  and  very  fatiguing  ;  but  it  was  accom 
plished  in  three  or  four  days. 

It  was  well  she  did  return.  The  nurse, 
with  whom  she  had  entrusted  the  children,  had 
not  been  faithful.  They  suffered  from  her 
want  of  judgment,  from  her  want  of  feeling, 
which  especially  appeared  in  the  decline  of 
the  sick,  though  not  complaining  daughter. 
The  gladness  of  all  the  children,  in  seeing 
their  mother,  only  the  gratulations  and  ca 
resses  of  children,  in  such  circumstances,  can 
tell.  Nor  can  words  express  the  joy  of  Mrs. 
Patten  in  being  allowed  again  to  spread  over 
them  the  wing  of  her  maternal  care.  In  ad 
dition  to  her  attention  by  day,  and  watching 
by  night,  they  were  restored  to  those  kind  and 
winning  instructions,  which  showed  her  inter 
est  in  their  everlasting  peace ;  and  to  those 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  47 

prayers,  which  seemed  to  bring  the  blessing 
near  to  them. 

By  the  first  mail,  after  Mrs.  Patten's  return, 
she  was  informed  that  her  husband  did  not 
suffer  by  her  absence ;  and  that  she  need  not 
hasten  back.  An  intimation  was  given,  even 
that  he  might  recruit,  and  return  home  in  the 
Spring.  From  the  supposed  nature  of  his 
disorder,  and  his  being  in  circumstances  most 
favorable  to  recovery,  she  admitted  the 
hope. 

But  a  letter  by  the  following  mail,  brought 
the  intelligence  of  his  departure  from  the 
world.  A  day  or  two  before  it  took  place, 
there  were  symptoms  of  the  change,  which 
were  obvious  to  him  as  well  as  his  friends. 
He  lay  in  perfect  quietness,  but  was  too  fee 
ble  to  speak,  except  in  a  whisper.  He  said, 
he  was  sure  he  had  loved  his  Master  and  his 
work.  He  expressed  a  confidence,  that  the 
God  of  the  "  widow  and  fatherless"  would  be 
with  his  family ;  and  a  firm  hope  of  his  own 
salvation,  through  the  mediation  of  Christ. 
He  thus  rested  from  his  labors. 


48  MEMOIRS    Otf 

In  person,  Mr.  Patten  was  rather  above  the 
middle  stature,  and  well  proportioned.  His 
countenance  was  manly  and  pleasing,  his  eye 
intelligent  and  observant.  His  voice  was  syl- 
labically  distinct ;  its  tones  full,  and  adapted 
to  his  subject.  The  attention  of  the  lar 
gest  audiences  was  arrested  and  fixed  while 
he  was  speaking.  There  was  an  ease  and 
grace  in  his  gestures,  and  all  his  movements, 
which  exhibited  nature  in  its  most  improved 
state.  His  sermons  were  accurate,  as  to  me 
thod  and  style,  and  awakening  and  instruc 
tive  ;  and  were  delivered  either  extempore,  or 
without  any  apparent  attention  to  his  notes. 
In  prayer  he  was  scriptural,  copious,  perti 
nent  ;  always  blending  deep  solemnity  with 
filial  confidence. 

He  deceased  January  16th,  1775,  in  the 
37th  year  of  his  age ;  and  was  respectfully 
interred  in  a  tomb  appropriated  to  ministers, 
in  Roxbury. 

"  Spare  us,  O  Lord,  aloud  we  pray  ; 
Nor  let  our  sun  go  down  at  noon  ; 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  49 

Thy  years  are  one  eternal  day, 
And  must  thy  children  die  so  soon?" 

WATTS. 

III. 

FROM  THE  DEATH  OF  HER  HUSBAND  TO  HER 
OWN  DECEASE. 

The  bereavement,  from  its  nature,  and  the 
sudden  manner  in  which  it  took  place  and 
communicated  to  her  when  alone  with  her 
children,  was  almost  overwhelming  to  Mrs. 
Patten.  She  felt  peculiarly  desolate ;  the 
agony  of  her  feelings  was  great ;  but  in  con 
sideration  of  her  children,  who  clustered 
around  her,  she  felt  it  her  duty  to  restrain 
her  outcries  ;  and  conscious  that  the  afflic 
tion,  with  all  its  circumstances  and  connexions 
was  known  to  her  heavenly  Father,  and  was 
of  his  appointment,  she  became  submissive, 
and  found  light  and  peace. 

The  situation  of  Mrs.  Patten  was  at  this 
time  peculiarly  hopeless  and  wretched.  She 
had  a  family  of  six  children,  the  eldest  four- 


50  MEMOIRS    OF 

teen  years,  the  youngest  sixteen  months  ;  her 
daughter  of  five  years,  still  sick,  and  requi 
ring  constant  attention.  She  was  without 
means  of  support,  and  not  in  a  capacity  to  ob 
tain  supplies  by  any  employment,  had  one  of 
fered  ;  and  it  was  in  the  midst  of  winter. 
Yet  in  methods  not  foreseen,  and  on  which 
she  could  not  calculate,  provision  was  made 
for  her,  so  that  her  family  did  not  suffer. 

Her  father,  Dr.  Wheelock,  wrote  a  letter 
full  of  sympathetic  feeling,  offering  to  do  for  her 
and  her  children  all  in  his  power,  if  she  would 
remove  in  the  spring  to  Hanover,  an  hundred 
and  eighty  miles  to  the  northward.  But  as 
the  settlement  was  new,  and  he  was  struggling 
with  many  difficulties  to  continue  the  school 
and  college,  it  was  not  in  heart  to  add  to  his 
cares,  and  increase  his  expenses.  She  there 
fore  declined  the  offer. 

He  then  requested  that  he  might  take  her 
elder  son  into  his  family,  and  give  him  a  col 
legiate  education.  An  offer  was  likewise 
made  by  the  father  of  Mr.  Patten,  and  a  bro 
ther  in  Roxbury,  who  was  in  a  large  grocery 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  51 

concern,  to  take  this  son  and  bring  him  up  to 
that  business.  Mrs.  Patten,  sensible  of  the 
importance  that  her  son  should  be  educated 
to  some  useful  employment,  left  it  to  him  to 
decide  which  of  the  two  offers  should  be  ac 
cepted. 

It  was  naturally  more  agreeable  to  him  to 
be  with  his  grandfather  and  uncle  in  Roxbury, 
with  whom  he  had  become  acquainted  during 
the  sickness  of  his  father,  and  where  his  father 
had  died.  The  vicinity  of  Boston,  and  the 
business  of  store  keeping,  were  likewise  more 
agreeable  to  him,  than  to  be  confined  to  stu 
dy,  in  a  wilderness  situation.  But  as  he 
thought  there  was  a  greater  prospect  of  be 
coming  a  Christian  by  going  to  his  grandfath 
er  Wheelock,*not  only  from  his  eminent  piety 
and  zeal,  but  from  the  religious  state  of  socie 
ty  at  college,  and  there  being  then  a  revival 
among  the  students,  he  preferred  his  offer.  In 
this  reason  of  preference  Mrs.  Patten  fully  ac 
quiesced,  and  sent  her  son  the  following  sum 
mer. 

Within  a  year,  she  received  from  him  a  let- 


52  MEMOIRS    OF 

ter  informing  her  that  by  the  grace  of  God, 
he  had  been  convinced  of  his  lost  state,  and 
had  found  support  and  joy  through  faith  in 
Christ. 

Her  feelings,  expressed  on  this  occasion, 
were  a  proof  that  her  first  and  highest  object 
with  respect  to  him  was  attained,  in  his  being 
delivered  from  the  dominion  of  sin,  and  saved 
from  everlasting  death.  This,  she  often  said, 
was  her  desire,  her  only  desire  with  respect  to 
all  her  children.  From  love  to  God,  as  well 
as  from  regard  to  their  welfare,  it  was  her 
earnest,  all  absorbing  wish,  they  should  serve 
him,  persuaded  that  this  comprehended  all 
good — was  the  "  whole  of  man." 

She  did  not  fail  to  improve  this  instance  of 
divine  mercy,  in  connexion  with  the  example 
of  her  former  son,  to  excite  the  attention,  and 
impress  the  minds  of  her  other  children  in  fa 
vor  of  religion.  The  example  of  elder  children 
when  good,  is  doubtless  among  the  most  im 
portant  means  of  grace.  Not  only  the  natu 
ral  affection  of  children  for  each  other,  but 
their  equality  in  standing,  and  similarity  of 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  53 

feeling,  and  intimate  intercourse,  give  the 
elder  an  influence  over  the  younger,  which 
even  the  parent  does  not  possess.  They  are 
powerfully  instrumental  in  regulating  or  per 
verting  the  younger.  When  not  restrained, 
they  weaken  the  authority  of  the  parent  over 
them,  and  render  it  in  a  great  measure  in 
effectual. 

Several  of  her  other  children  Mrs.  Patten 
might  have  located  among  relatives  who  kind 
ly  offered  to  receive  them  ;  but  while  it  was 
very  inconvenient  for  her  to  be  left  alone, 
with  a  sick  child  and  infant,  it  was  inexpress 
ibly  distressing  to  have  her  children  dispersed. 
They  were  her  greatest  earthly  solace.  But  it 
was  a  superior  motive,  that  she  could  pay  more 
attention  to  their  religious  instruction  and 
conduct  than  she  could  expect  from  others. 
From  maternal  affection  and  Christian  solici 
tude,  she  therefore  resolved  to  continue  them 
under  her  own  care. 

But  this  resolution  required  a  strong  faith 
in  the  promises  of  God,  as  she  was  without 
the  visible  means  or  prospect  of  support.  Yet 

5 


54  MEMOIRS    OF 

as  her  resolution  was  founded  in  good  inten 
tions,  she  did  not  consider  that  reliance  pre 
sumptuous.  She  did  not  fear  to  "  live  by 
faith  ;"  and  the  care  of  God  over  her  was  ap 
parent  in  providing  for  her  according  to  her 
exigencies,  and  in  season. 

She  did  not  express  to  any  one  her  desti 
tute  and  helpless  situation,  and  ask  for  assist 
ance.  She  thought  that,  like  her  Christian 
example,  it  was  sufficiently  obvious  to  those 
who  were  disposed  to  attend  and  minister  to 
her  relief;  and  that  to  state  it  in  words,  might 
appear  like  complaining,  or  bring  a  reproach 
on  her  for  keeping  her  family  together.  She 
therefore  allowed  her  situation  to  speak  for 
itself;  and  was  willing  to  adopt  every  in 
stance  of  self  denial  possible,  to  attain  her  ob 
ject. 

But  her  wants  she  told  to  God,  repairing  to 
him  on  all  occasions  as  the  only  object  of 
hope  ;  and  his  interpositions  on  her  behalf 
were  a  constant  source  of  gratitude,  and  often 
filled  her  with  surprise. 

Were  the  door  of  her  dwelling  to  be  open- 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  55 

ed,  though  no  miracle  would  be  seen,  the  care 
of  God  would  be  scarcely  less  visible.  No 
article  necessary  to  the  support  and  enjoy 
ment  of  life  was  exhausted,  but  a  supply  was 
furnished.  An  instance  in  the  case  of  her 
sick  daughter,  is  a  specimen.  When  Mrs. 
Patten  was  wiping  a  tear  from  her  eye,  be 
cause  her  child  expressed  a  desire  for  some 
thing  which  could  not  be  procured,  a  servant 
came  to  the  door  with  a  billet  from  an  unknown 
friend,  enclosing  money  sufficient  for  purcha 
sing  that  article,  and  whatever  was  necessary 
for  the  family.  She  had  daily  evidence  of 
that  gracious  declaration  of  Christ,  "  Your 
Heavenly  Father  knoweth  that  ye  have  need 
of  these  things  ;"  and  with  the  disciples,  when 
Christ  inquired  of  them  after  their  return  from 
their  mission,  *'  Have  ye  lacked  any  thing  ?" 
she  could  reply,  "  Nothing."  The  temper  of 
a  disciple  she  manifested,  in  being  without 
anxiety.  No,  never  was  she  anxious.  She 
was  equally  contented,  and  she  exhibited 
equal  cheerfulness  of  countenance  when  most 
destitute,  as  though  the  world  were  at  her  dis- 


56  MEMOIRS    OF 

posal.     "  Her  treasury,"  she  said,  "  was  on 
high."     This  was  sure  and  inexhaustible. 

That  all  are  dependent  on  God,  both  for  life 
and  the  means  by  which  it  is  sustained,  it 
were  atheism  to  deny. 

Trust  in  God  does  not  imply  the  neglect  or 
contempt  of  means,  but  it  requires  that  he  be 
not  limited  to  those  in  our  possession  or  view ; 
and  that  he  be  not  directed  in  the  course  he 
may  take.  It  is  not,  therefore,  presumptuous 
to  rely  on  him  when  one  is  destitute  of  proper 
ty,  is  incapable  of  laboring,  and  even  is  with 
out  sympathizing  relatives  and  friends.  In  no 
case  is  "  the  Lord's  arm  shortened  that  he 
cannot  save."  "  The  hearts  of  all  are  in  his 
hand ;"  "  the  earth  is  his,  and  the  fulness 
thereof,"  and  there  are  repeated  providen 
tial  occurrences  by  which  those  who  trust  in 
means  are  taught  to  fear  ;  but  those  who  trust 
in  the  Lord  not  to  be  discouraged. 

The  chief  object  of  solicitude  to  Mrs.  Pat 
ten  at  this  time  was  her  sick  daughter,  who 
continued  perceptibly,  though  gradually  to  de 
cline.  It  was  a  ground  of  peculiar  affliction, 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  57 

that  from  nervous  weakness,  the  child  could 
not  bear  the  thought  of  death ;  and  that  any 
discourse  of  religion  connected  with  that 
change  produced  an  agitation  which  rendered 
it  necessary  to  divert  her  attention  to  some 
other  subject. 

In  this  perplexity  Mrs.  Patten  adapted  a 
method  of  indirect  instruction.  She  called 
her  other  children  around  her  and  catechised 
them ;  and  in  the  answers  and  explanations 
given,  communicated  to  her  sick  daughter  all 
the  truths  she  wished  her  to  know.  After 
pursuing  this  course  for  a  short  time,  the 
child  seemed  to  feel  neglected  that  she  was 
not  questioned  in  her  order ;  and  said,  "  Ma', 
you  may  ask  me  questions  now,  for  I  can  bear 
them."  After  this  she  attended  with  calmness 
and  apparent  satisfaction  to  all  that  was  said 
to  her.  Her  death  was  finally  occasioned  by 
the  whooping  cough,  which  operated  on  her 
with  great  severity.  In  a  fit  of  coughing, 
while  her  agitated  mother  was  carrying  her  to 
the  air,  she  said,  "  Ma',  don't  be  frightened, 
I  shall  soon  get  over  it ;"  but  without  speak- 

5* 


58  MEMOIRS    OF 

ing  again  she  expired.  This  was  Charlotte, 
a  beautiful,  discreet,  patient,  docile,  and  as 
we  trust  a  Christian  child.  She  deceased 
April  21st,  1775,  in  the  seventh  year  of  her 
age. 

On  this  occasion  Mrs.  Patten  scarcely  felt 
the  evil  of  separation.  She  seemed  to  real 
ise  the  voice  of  Christ,  "  She  is  not  dead,  but 
sleepeth."  She  viewed  her  child  as  "  taken 
away  from  the  evil  to  come  ;"  as  resting  from 
her  labors,  and  an  heir  of  a  blessed  immor 
tality.  She  therefore  quietly  resigned  her  to 
her  bed  in  the  dust,  and  to  the  arms  of  the 
Redeemer. 

No  longer  confined  by  the  cares  of  sick 
ness,  Mrs.  Patten  was  able  to  pay  a  more 
general  attention  to  the  concerns  of  her  fami 
ly.  Her  right  to  the  house  in  which  she  lived 
was  doubtful,  and  it  was  necessary  to  have  a 
legal  decision  in  the  case.  It  was  a  provi 
dential  favor  to  her,  that  the  cause,  without 
any  designed  delay  on  her  part,  was  continued 
in  court  seven  years.  This  furnished  a  shel 
ter  for  herself  and  children  ;  in  connexion 


MRS.    RUTH   PATTEN.  59 

with  which  they  had  some  facilities  for  gain 
ing  a  subsistence  ;  but  these  were  precarious, 
and  at  best,  inadequate  ;  so  that  the  attention 
of  Mrs.  Patten  was  kept  awake  to  her  depen 
dence  on  God,  and  through  confidence  in 
him,  his  "  peace  possessed  her  heart  and  her 
mind." 

In  the  winter  of  1779,  she  was  called  to  visit 
her  father,  supposed  to  be  in  his  last  sickness. 
She  readily  assented  ;  leaving  her  little  family 
under  the  divine  protection,  she  proceeded  in 
a  sleigh  with  one  of  her  brothers  who  had 
come  for  her,  and  accomplished  the  journey 
without  difficulty. 

Their  mutual  joy  at  meeting  was  great ; 
even  the  melancholy  considerations  attending 
it  were  rich  in  consolation. 

Her  father  was  gratified  with  the  assiduous, 
judicious  and  affectionate  attention  she  de 
voted  to  him,  scarcely  leaving  him  day  or 
night  for  three  months  ;  at  which  time  he  ex 
pired.  It  was  a  satisfaction  to  her  that  she 
had  an  opportunity  to  minister  to  him  in  his 
infirmities,  to  relieve  his  cares  and  distresses, 


60  MEMOIRS   OF 

to  hear  his  Christian  remarks,  and  witness  his 
example  through  his  sickness  and  in  his  dying 
hour.  He  had  ever  expressed  for  her  a  ten 
der  love,  and  bestowed  on  her  all  the  obliga 
tions  a  child  could  receive  from  a  parent.  She 
had  never  offended  him,  had  always  cheerfully 
obeyed  his  command ;  and  she  followed  him 
in  faithfulness  till  he  closed  his  eyes  in  death. 
This  took  place  April  24,  1779. 

On  her  return  to  her  family  she  found  rea 
son  for  gratitude,  for  the  Lord  had  been  with 
them  to  protect  and  bless  them  ;  so  that  they 
had  not  been  in  want,  and  no  evil  had  dis 
turbed  their  peace.  Though  young  they  had 
remembered  and  observed  the  counsels  of 
their  mother,  so  that  she  found  reason  only  to 
commend  them  for  their  regularity  and  har 
mony. 

After  this,  nothing  unusual  occurred  in 
her  family  or  connexions  till  April,  1780, 
when  there  was  much  to  excite  her  maternal 
and  Christian  feelings  in  the  danger  and  res- 

G  O 

cue  of  her  son  at  college.  As  it  may  proper 
ly  have  a  place  in  these  memoirs,  and  may  be 


MRS.    RUTH   PATTEN.  61 

useful  to  the  reader,  a  brief  account  will  be 
given  of  the  scene. 

This  son  was  in  his  last  year  in  college,  and 
had  accompanied  his  uncle,  the  new  presi 
dent,  forty  miles  above  the  college  ;  and  after 
fording  Wild  Ammonoosuc  river,  lodged  at 
an  aunt's  about  a  mile  beyond.  In  the  morn 
ing,  which  was  Sabbath,  it  was  necessary  to 
re-cross  the  river  to  attend  public  worship. 
With  this  object  in  view,  in  company  with  his 
uncle  and  aunt,  and  several  of  the  family,  he 
set  out.  But  when  they  arrived  at  the  river 
they  found  that  it  was  much  swollen  by  the 
copious  rain  which  had  fallen  the  preceding 
night  and  the  dissolved  snow.  Several  of  the 
party  crossed  in  a  small  boat ;  but  as  it  was 
still  possible,  though  difficult,  to  ford  the  river, 
it  was  expedient  for  some  to  attempt  it,  and 
lead  the  horses  that  were  dismounted.  Of 
this  number  he  offered  to  be  one  ;  but  in  the 
stream  his  horse,  on  being  checked,  crouched 
and  was  overthrown.  The  rider,  precipitated 
into  the  water,  immediately  regained  his 
standing ;  but  found  it  impossible  to  resist  for 


62  MEMOIRS    OF 

a  moment  the  force  of  the  current.  He  was 
again  overwhelmed.  By  repeated  struggles 
to  obtain  a  footing,  he  caught  a  few  gasps  of 
air ;  but  the  intermediate  times  of  being  un 
der  water  were  longer  than  he  could  suspend 
his  breath,  and  caused  very  great  distress. 

He  was  soon  carried  into  deep  water,  and 
then,  from  the  necessity  of  it,  thought  of  swim 
ming,  to  which  exercise  he  had  been  accus 
tomed.  Without  fatigue,  or  even  sensible  ef 
fort,  he  rested  on  the  surface  of  the  water. 
But  he  had  not  proceeded  far  before  his 
strength  entirely  failed  him,  so  that  he  could 
not  move  a  hand  or  foot  to  save  the  universe. 
As  he  lay  on  the  bottom  of  the  river,  his  pain 
abated  ;  but  the  bed  wras  hard,  from  the  neces 
sity  and  nature  of  the  sleep  into  which  he  was 
falling  and  the  inextinguishable  desire  of  being 
awake  to  life.  He  reflected  that  he  must  now 
breathe,  or  breathe  no  more ;  but  finding  the 
attempt  useless  and  distressing,  he  continued 
voluntarily  to  suspend  his  breath,  and  soon  all 
sense  and  consciousness  ceased. 

On  the  first  return  of  thought,  he  imagined 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  63 

that  he  was  on  the  bed  where  he  had  slept  the 
night  before,  and  that  it  was  now  a  dark  and 
stormy  night.  The  scene  through  which  he 
had  passed  occurred  to  him,  and  he  supposed 
it  to  be  a  dream,  and  that  it  had  drenched  him 
in  a  cold -perspiration.  He  resolved  to  start 
and  thoroughly  awake,  that  he  might  be 
certain  it  was  a  dream.  As  he  made  the  at 
tempt,  he  felt  that  he  was  weak,  and  conclu 
ded  he  would  not  fatigue  himself  more,  as 
he  should  naturally  awake  in  a  moment 
or  two.  On  this,  he  perceived  a  glimmering 
of  light,  and  heard  the  clapping  of  hands, 
seemingly  at  a  distance,  but  rapidly  approach 
ing  ;  when  at  the  time  it  should  have  reached 
him,  he  found  he  was  lying  on  the  shore,  sur 
rounded  by  weeping  friends,  who  were  stri 
king  his  hands,  and  attempting  by  friction  to 
restore  him  to  animation.  He  was  told  that 
he  had  been  in  that  situation  fifteen  or  twenty 
minutes. 

Though  he  saw,  and  heard,  and  felt,  his  sen 
sations  were  those  of  much  distress.  There 
was  but  a  spark  of  life  in  a  body  of  death,  ser- 


64  MEMOIRS    OF 

ving  scarcely  more  than  to  evidence  its  des 
olation.  Still  there  was  a  joy — a  great  joy, 
in  being  again  alive,  and  this  blessing  was 
confirmed  by  a  restoration,  ere  long,  to  health 
and  strength. 

It  might  well  be  deemed  a  deficiency,  were 
the  writer  not  to  relate  his  exercises  and  im 
pressions  during  the  scene  through  which  he 
was  carried. 

He  felt  the  solemnity  of  dying  to  be  great 
er  than  he  had  before  apprehended,  and  he 
believes  that  no  one  can  have  an  adequate 
idea  of  it,  but  from  experience.  In  preceding 
sicknesses  and  apprehensions  of  dying,  there  is 

some  uncertainty  as  to  the  issue.  Apprehen 
sion  is  therefore  blended  with  a  degree  of 
hope,  and  the  use  of  means  for  recovery. 
But  when  one  is  convinced  by  external  cir 
cumstances,  and  his  experience,  that  he  is  in 
deed  dying,  he  then  has  a  full,  and  it  may  be 
said,  new  impression  of  the  great  change. 

It  was  thus  with  this  son.  He  had,  in  the 
course  of  his  life,  been  visited  with  seasons  of 
dangerous  sickness  ;  he  had  repeatedly  been 


MRS.    RUTH   PATTEN.  65 

seized  with  strange  feelings,  which  he  did  not 
know  but  might  be  those  of  death ;  but  he  did 
not  know  how  much  influence  hope  retained, 
amidst  his  fears  ;  nor  how  great  a  difference 
there  was,  between  the  suspicion,  and  the  real 
ity  of  dying.  But  when  he  found,  that  he  was 
in  a  rapid  stream,  his  efforts  to  escape  or  re 
sist  which  were  wholly  ineffectual  ;  that  he 
was  far  from  help,  and  actually  lying  on  a 
bed  beneath  the  wave,  there  was  no  room  to 
doubt  that  the  hand  of  death  was  upon  him ; 
and  this  knowledge  was  attended  with  more 
solemnity  than  any  apprehensions  he  ever  be 
fore  had  of  the  subject. 

But  the  chief  solemnity  of  death  consists  in 
its  relation  to  eternity.  Awakened  to  this 
subject,  all  the  scenes  and  interests  of  time 
appear  as  shadowy  forms,  and  a  darkening 
twilight.  God  will  be  in  all  its  thoughts,  in 
all  its  feelings,  in  all  its  hopes,  or  fears. 

This  was  the  experience  of  the  son  in 
the  scene  before  related,  and  in  realizing 
the  presence  of  God,  and  that  he  was  then 

6 


6t>  MEMOIRS  or 

going  to  his  tribunal,  its  terrors  awed  and  dis 
tracted  him. 

His  mind,  for  some  time  previous,  had  been 
in  a  state  of  darkness  and  conflict,  and  the 
danger  into  which  he  was  then  plunged,  im 
pressed  him  as  a  judgment.  The  consterna 
tion  of  the  scene,  and  especially  of  this  im 
pression,  precluded  other  thoughts  ;  but  im 
mediately  on  his  rescue,  and  finding  that  he 
was  a  subject  of  mercy,  the  name  of  Christ 
occurred  to  him,  and  produced  an  exultation 
far  superior  to  the  joys  of  restored  life  ;  and 
he  thought,  if  one  had  reminded  him  of  it  in  his 
distress,  it  would  have  caused  him  almost  to 
leap  from  the  water  ;  at  least,  it  would  have 
given  wings  to  his  faith,  and  rendered  him  tri 
umphant. 

It  Was  then  his  determination,  that  if  ever 
he  should  attend  the  dying,  he  would  speak  to 
them  repeatedly  of  Christ ;  that  the  sound  of 
his  name  should  be  mingled  with  their  suffer 
ings  of  body  and  mind,  and  should  be  the  last 
they  heard  in  this  state  of  sin  and  mortality. 


MRS.    RUTH   PATTEN.  67 

"  He  is  a  rock,"  all   else  ia  wave  and  dark 
ness. 

When  Mrs.  Patten  became  acquainted  with 
this  scene,  her  emotions  and  exercises  of 
mind  may  more  easily  be  conceived  than  ex 
pressed  ;  her  gratitude  to  God,  her  earnest 
desire  that  this  son  might  renewedly,  and  with 
zeal,  be  devoted  to  his  service ;  and  that  all 
her  children  might  be  excited  to  attend  to 
those  "  things  which  belong  to  their  everr 
lasting  peace,"  since  the  "  grave  is  without 
any  order ;"  and  they  "  knew  not  what  a  day 
may  bring  forth  ;"  and  without  which,  when 
the  affectionate  ties  in  which  they  are  united 
shall  be  dissolved,  they  will  fail  of  being  as 
sociated  in  a  state  of  perpetual  and  perfect 
friendship  and  blessedness. 

Mrs.  Patten  continued  several  years  after 
this  time  in  a  state  comparatively  obscure,  at 
tending  to  her  family,  instructing  her  chiL? 
dren,  and  promoting  their  usefulness.  She 
had  the  satisfaction  of  witnessing  a  public 
profession  of  religion  by  her  three  daughters, 
each  of  whom  gave  evidence  of  her  being  a 


68  MEMOIRS   OF 

friend  to  Christ,  and  of  professing  his  name 
with  a  desire  to  serve  him.  Blessed  family  ! 
united  in  Christian  affection,  in  Christian  obe 
dience,  and  in  the  hope  of  salvation. 

In  May,  1786,  the  elder  son  was  ordained 
pastor  of  a  church  in  Newport,  R.  I.  As 
there  was  a  parsonage  house  belonging  to  the 
society,  he  invited  and  urged  his  mother  and 
the  family  to  reside  with  him.  This  she 
thought  it  prudent  to  decline  ;  but  consented 
that  two  of  her  daughters  should  go,  and  her 
little  son,  as  it  was  the  wish  of  his  brother  to 
assist  in  giving  him  a  collegiate  education,  that 
in  this  respect  he  might  be  on  an  equality 
with  himself. 

After  a  year  she  saw  fit  to  take  the  place  of 
one  of  her  daughters,  and  remained  in  New 
port  two  years  and  a  half.  Her  courtesy  and 
good  example  gained  her  general  respect  and 
esteem.  No  one,  at  all  acquainted  with  her, 
doubted  that  she  was  a  Christian.  She  was 
considered  as  exhibiting  religion,  though  de 
cidedly,  yet  in  one  of  its  mildest  and  most  in 
teresting  forms.  She  joined  the  Osborne  fe- 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  69 

male  praying  meeting ;  and  in  her  intercourse 
with  Christians  and  others,  maintained  the 
character  of  being  humble,  devout,  charitable, 
and  in  all  respects  exemplary. 

When  her  younger  son  became  prepared 
for  his  second  year  in  college,  it  was  necessary, 
either  that  the  object  of  his  education  should 
be  abandoned,  or  that  the  family  should  be 
broken  up.  The  latter,  with  mutual  feelings 
of  regret  at  the  separation,  was  adopted. 

Previously  to  their  leaving  Hartford,  a 
school  had  been  commenced,  which  was  con 
tinued  by  the  eldest  daughter  ;  and  on  their 
return  the  three  daughters  unitedly  engaged 
in  the  employment. 

Though  expedient,  and  in  a  sense  neces 
sary,  it  was  not  undertaken,  nor  was  it  con 
ducted,  on  mercenary  principles,  but  in  a  dis 
position  to  be  employed  in  doing  good. 

The  school  thus  commenced,  gradually  in 
creased  and  became  prosperous.  Instructions 
were  given  not  only  in  the  primary  and  es 
sential,  but  in  the  refined  and  ornamental 
branches.  Of  these  branches  which  were  not 

6* 


70  MEMOIRS   OF 

taught  in  any  school  the  sisters  had  attended, 
they  acquired  the  knowledge  by  their  own  stu 
dy.  This  was  especially  the  case  in  needle 
work,  both  lace  and  embroidery  ;  specimens 
of  which  they  could  develope,  however  com 
plicated,  ingenious  and  beautiful,  and  repro 
duce.  The  pupils  had  likewise  opportunity  of 
taking  lessons  on  various  subjects  from  mas 
ters  in  town. 

But  it  was  found  important,  to  perfect  their 
institution,  that  some  man  should  be  connect 
ed  with  it,  from  whom  permanent  instructions 
might  be  derived  in  criticism,  mathematics, 
geography,  and  branches  proper  to  such  a  de 
partment. 

At  this  time,  the  younger  son  of  Mrs.  Pat 
ten  had  graduated ;  and  though  he  was  strong 
ly  inclined  to  mercantile  pursuits,  and  had  the 
encouragement  of  a  clerk's  office  in  one  of 
the  ships  of  an  East  India  merchant ;  yet  some 
trouble  arising  to  American  commerce  at  Can 
ton,  the  voyage  was  indefinitely  postponed. 

On  returning  to  his  mother  and  sisters,  he 
consented  to  give  that  assistance  in  the  school 
which  they  desired.  But  that  he  might  be 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  71 

more  fully  employed,  he  concluded  to  attend 
in  a  separate  apartment  to  the  instruction  of 
boys,  in  the  literary  branches  necessary  to 
qualify  them  for  the  various  occupations  in 
life  ;  and  in  the  classics  and  other  books  pre 
paratory  to  their  admission  to  college. 

He  was  a  thorough  and  critical,  and  at 
length  became  an  universal  scholar.  The 
constitution  and  management  of  his  school 
were  very  judicious,  appearing  in  the  order 
that  was  maintained,  and  the  rapid  proficiency 
of  the  pupils.  His  government  was  not  by 
passion,  or  the  dictate  of  incident,  but  wholly 
by  law ;  so  that  his  school  was  of  the  nature 
of  a  republic,  in  which  the  Principal  was  an 
impartial  and  firm,  but  lenient  administrator  ; 
and  the  pupils  felt  an  interest  in  the  support 
of  the  laws.  The  laws  were  few,  but  com 
prehensive,  adapted  to  preserve  order  and 
quiet,  and  promote  study.  They  included 
manners  and  morals,  requiring  a  courteous 
demeanor,  forbidding  profanity  and  falsehood, 
and  unkind  expressions  and  rude  conduct. 
Religion  was  likewise  promoted,  by  the  stated 


72  MEMOIRS   OF 

reading  of  the  Scriptures,  and  the  catecheti 
cal  instructions  and  example  of  the  teacher. 

The  two  schools  obtained  great  celebrity  ; 
and  while  patronized  in  town,  applications 
were  made  from  different  and  remote  places 
for  children  to  be  admitted,  and  for  board  in 
the  family.  In  addition  to  those  from  the 
New  England  states,  some  were  received  from 
South  Carolina  and  several  of  the  West  India 
Islands ;  so  that  the  schools  at  times  consisted 
of  between  two  and  three  hundred,  many  of 
them  from  families  of  the  first  respectability  ; 
and  there  were  from  thirty  to  forty  in  the 
family  as  boarders. 

Mrs.  Patten  never  taught  in  the  school,  but 
she  presided  in  the  family,  and  was  very  use 
ful.  She  regularly  prayed  with  her  own 
daughters,  and  the  female  class  of  boarders. 
She  attended  to  the  wants  and  conduct  of  all 
the  children  ;  gave  them  advice,  instructed 
them  in  propriety  of  behaviour,  and  in  moral 
and  religious  duty.  She  wished  both  their 
natural  and  moral  improvement — that  they 
might  excel  in  whatever  "  is  lovely,  virtuous, 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  73 

and  of  good  report."  But  it  was  her  desire 
that  all  other  things  might  subserve  their 
knowledge  of  God  and  the  Redeemer,  and 
promote  their  walking  in  "  the  way  that  is 
everlasting,"  and  shining  as  the  "  brightness 
of  the  firmament,  and  the  stars  forever." 

Her  authority  was  so  tempered  by  meek 
ness,  and  such  were  her  candor,  the  justice  of 
her  judgment,  and  evident  regard  for  their  good, 
that  she  engaged  in  a  high  degree  their  con 
fidence  and  love.  They  universally  addressed 
her  by  the  appellation  of  Grand  Ma' ;  and 
they  appeared  to  have  for  her  the  respect  and 
affection  of  children. 

Her  instructions  and  example  were  salutary, 
as  they  exhibited  in  a  consistent  light  the 
Christian  character.  They  all  saw  that  to  be 
such  a  Christian  was  to  be  good  ;  and  the  con 
viction  was  blessed,  not  only  as  a  restraint, 
and  a  motive  to  an  amiable  demeanor,  and  a 
reverence  for  the  Scriptures  and  Christian  in 
stitutions  ;  but  in  some  instances  to  the  expe 
rience  of  sanctifying  grace,  in  the  choice  to 
be  the  Lord's, 


74  MEMOIRS   OF 

Through  their  influence,  and  the  instruc 
tions  and  discipline  in  both  the  schools,  the 
pupils  were  remarkable  for  the  regularity  of 
their  conduct,  and  proficiency  in  their  studies. 
It  is  not  known  that  any  one  was  turned  away 
for  neglect  or  misconduct ;  whereas  boys  in 
other  schools  and  in  other  towns,  who  were 
refractory,  and  above  the  control  of  their  pre 
ceptors,  have,  on  being  sent  to  this,  spontane 
ously  conformed  to  the  general  order,  and 
have  excelled  in  their  attainments.  It  was 
said  of  the  females,  that  there  was  a  remark 
able  uniformity  in  them  as  it  respected  their 
being  entirely  free  from  affectation,  and  ex 
hibiting  a  delicacy  and  propriety  in  their  man 
ners,  with  an  improved  mind  and  amiable  dis 
position. 

As  the  sphere  of  Mrs.  Patten's  usefulness 
enlarged,  especially  as  the  pecuniary  re 
sources  of  the  family  increased,  her  benevo 
lence  and  liberality  became  more  conspicu 
ous. 

She  had  ever  been  hospitable.  This  office 
of  kindness  was  not  confined  to  her  relatives 


MRS.    RUTH   PATTEK.  75 

and  friends,  either  in  town,  or  who  visited 
her  on  their  journies ;  but  extended  to  all  who 
were  strangers  and  in  want,  and  to  whom  she 
could  give  relief. 

In  this  respect  she  exemplified  the  spirit  of 
the  command  of  Christ, "  When  thou  niakest  a 
feast,  call  not  thy  friends,  thy  kinsmen,  or  rich 
neighbors — but  the  poor,  the  blind,  the  maim 
ed,  for  they  cannot  reward  thee." 

In  entertaining  her  natural  relatives,  her 
Christian  friends  and  ministers  of  the  gospel, 
she  showed  that  she  considered  the  obligation 
conferred  on  her,  rather  than  on  them.  Yet 
she  provided  a  way  to  accommodate  others. 
Poverty,  infirmity,  and  even  delirium,  have 
found  food  and  a  nurse's  care,  and  have  felt 
peace  and  quietness  under  her  roof;  so  that 
there  was  reason  in  the  plea  which  a  friend 
less  stranger  once  offered  for  a  lodging,  that 
"  she  had  been  told,  Mrs.  Patten  never  turned 
any  away."  Hospitality  was  the  law  of  her 
house. 

She  was  solicitous  to  relieve  in  their  own 
dwellings,  those  who  could  not  make  personal 


76  MEMOIRS   OF 

application,  sending  them  supplies,  visiting 
them,  and  by  her  kind  and  instructive  sugges 
tions,  ministering  to  their  spiritual  benefit  and 
consolation. 

She  was  very  obliging  in  her  intercourse 
with  her  neighbors  ;  "  ready  to  lend,  not  ho 
ping  for  any  thing  again,"  or  on  the  principle 
of  doing  them  a  kindness,  and  not  of  receiv 
ing  a  recompense. 

In  the  benevolent  and  charitable  institutions 
and  enterprises  of  the  day,  she  took  a  lively 
interest,  and  was  pleased  as  they  multiplied, 
cheerfully  giving  them  her  aid. 

Instead  of  pleading  what  she  had  done,  as  an 
excuse  for  not  doing  more,  she  considered 
new  opportunities  of  promoting  what  was 
good,  as  new  fields  in  which  she  might  sow, 
with  the  prospect  of  reaping  a  large  harvest. 
The  harvest  to  which  she  looked  forward  was, 
the  fruits  of  benevolent  exertion.  This  is 
indeed  all  the  good  that  God  has  done,  and 
all  that  he  will  bestow. 

She  was  a  principal  instrument  in  founding 
the  Beneficent  Society,  in  the  place  of  her  re- 


MRS.    RUTH   PATTEN.  T7 

sidence,  for  the  support  and  education  of  indi 
gent  orphan,  or  neglected  female  children. 
The  following  testimonial  on  the  subject  is 
found  among  her  papers. 

Hartford,  June  1st,  1816. 
"  The  Female  Beneficent  Society  present 
their  grateful  acknowledgments  to  Mrs.  Ruth 
Patten,  for  her  liberal  aid  and  patronage  of  the 
Society,  for  her  excellent  counsel  to  the  Man 
agers,  and  for  her  exertions  as  their  Presi 
dent. 

They  hope  long  to  retain  her  as  one  of  the 
first  and  firmest  friends  of  the  institution,  and 
pray  God  to  make  her  and  her  family  parta 
kers  of  all  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ ; 
and  beg  her  to  accept  the  assurance  of  their 
highest  esteem  and  utmost  regard. 
By  order  of  the  Board, 

MARY  GREW,  Preset. 
J.  WATSON,  Sec'y." 

She  was  one   of  the  first  contributors  to 
Williamstown  College,   to  the  Foreign  Mis- 

7 


78  MEMOIRS    OF 

sionary  Society,  to  the  Connecticut  Bible  So 
ciety,  of  which  she  and  her  three  daughters  be 
came  life  members.  It  is  difficult  to  enume 
rate  the  various  benevolent  institutions  to 
which  she  belonged  ;  and  would  be  impossi 
ble,  as  it  is  unnecessary  to  ascertain  the 
amount  of  her  donations  to  them,  and  to  par 
ticular  charitable  objects.  As  she  lived  in 
communion  with  God,  and  in  the  exercise  of 
a  disposition  to  do  good,  she  did  not  keep  a 
register  of  the  number  of  her  prayers,  or  of 
time  spent  in  them,  nor  of  the  instances  and 
amount  of  her  charities  ;  they  were  the  course 
of  her  life,  and  could  not  be  written. 

She  was  deeply  interested  in  the  churches 
and  their  pastors,  and  deplored  the  errors  and 
divisions  that  appeared  among  them,  and  pray 
ed  for  their  union,  their  purity  and  peace. 
Her  charity  did  not  lead  her  to  overlook  all 
differences  in  opinion  as  not  important  ;  it 
did  not  consist  in  indulgence  to  error,  but  to 
those  by  whom  it  was  adopted,  with  a  desire 
that  while  Christians  walked  together,  so  far 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  79 

as  they  were  agreed,  they  might  all  be  united 
in  the  truth. 

It  was  her  heart's  desire  that  pure  and  un- 
defiled  religion  might  be  revived  and  flour 
ish;  and  any  accounts  or  indications  of  the  awa 
kening  and  conversion  of  sinners,  filled  her 
with  joy,  and  gave  increased  animation  to  her 
prayers  and  praises. 

The  missionary  cause  lay  with  habitual 
weight  on  her  mind,  and  at  times  absorbed  her 
feelings  as  relating  to  a  world  of  sinners. 
Earnestly  did  she  desire  that  the  gospel  might 
be  sent  to  the  heathen,  and  preached  to 
the  Jews,  and  exhibited  in  all  those  re 
gions  where,  through  ignorance,  or  delusion, 
or  impenitence,  the  people  sat  in  the  "  shadow 
of  death."  Fervent  were  her  prayers  for  the 
missionaries,  and  she  made  every  exertion  in 
her  power  to  aid  their  support  and  promote 
their  usefulness. 

In  her  works  she  was  not  ostentatious.  She 
never  appeared  to  think  them  important,  or 
entitled  to  praise.  The  works  themselves  of 
Christians  are  the  light  in  which  they  are  to 
shine.  To  attempt,  by  boasting,  to  bring  them 


80  MEMOIRS   OF 

into  public  notice,  would  be  like  the  influence 
of  the  sun  on  the  manna,  causing  it  to  melt 
away.  In  accordance  with  the  precept  of 
Christ, "  when  she  had  done  all,  she  consider 
ed  that  she  had  but  performed  her  duty ;  that 
she  was  an  unprofitable  servant." 

Without  diminishing  from  the  benevolence  of 
her  disposition,  it  may  be  observed,  that  Mrs. 
Patten  was  gratified  with  the  cheerful  concur 
rence  of  her  daughters  in  her  views  and  wishes, 
by  which  she  was  enabled  to  carry  them  more 
fully  into  effect. 

In  two  instances,  without  a  long  interval  of 
time,  Mrs.  Patten  was  brought  near  death.  In 
the  first,  her  strength  suddenly  failed,  and  she 
fell  into  a  lethargic,  insensible  state,  which 
continued  two  days,  with  but  little  hope  of  her 
recovery.  When  restored  to  reason,  it  ap 
peared  that  the  dispensation,  though  sudden, 
did  not  find  her  unprepared.  Though  still  in 
apparent  danger,  she  expressed  no  fear,  but 
was  quiet  and  resigned.  The  grace  of  which 
she  was  habitually  the  subject,  was  brought  in 
to  exercise  in  correspondence  to  the  trial. 
. 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  81 

She  was  deeply  impressed  with  the  solemnity 
of  entering  eternity ;  and  grateful  and  sur 
prised  that  she  was  restored  again  to  life  and 
usefulness. 

The  other  instance  was,  her  falling  back 
ward  down  a  flight  of  stairs.  This  fall  was 
very  severe.  It  rendered  her  for  a  time  insen 
sible,  it  injured  her  neck  and  back,  and  dis 
abled  her  from  leaving  the  house  for  three 
months.  It  was  the  more  remarkable,  as  she 
had  recently  heard  of  the  decease  of  a  brother 
and  sister,  and  was  preparing  for  church,  with 
a  written  request,  that  prayer  might  be  offered 
for  divine  support  and  consolation  under  the 
bereavements.  That  two  of  the  family  should 
die  so  near  together,  and  she  almost  had 
joined  them,  deeply  impressed  her  with  a 
sense  of  the  frailty  of  life,  and  its  dearest 
connexions,  and  of  the  divine  hand  in  shield 
ing  her  in  so  great  danger,  and  not  increasing 
her  paternal  family's  desolation  and  sorrow. 
These  impressions  were  connected  with  live 
ly  gratitude  to  God,  and  renewed  devotedness 
of  herself  to  him  with  humility  and  zeal. 

7* 


82  MEMOIRS   OF 

She  often  expressed  these  obligations  in 
her  confinement  ;  and  when  able  to  attend 
public  worship,  she  desired  that  thanks  might 
be  returned  ;  and  went  in  the  spirit  of  the 
hymn,  which  she  repeated. 

it  YV  M-. 


"  Among  thy  saints  that  fill  thy  house, 

My  offerings  shall  be  paid  ; 
There  shall  my  zeal  perform  the  vows 
My  soul  in  anguish  made. 

:'r>oU»/lJ'ipfciMft-Yhj:"v>t-hmi 
"  How  happy  all  thy  servants  are  ! 

How  great  thy  grace  to  me  ; 
My  life,  which  thou  hast  made  thy  care, 
Lord,  I  devote  to  thee. 

}  iron  0*  $& 

"  Now  I  am  thine,  forever  thine  ; 
Nor  shall  my  purpose  move  ; 
Thy  hands  have  loos'd  my  bands  of  pain, 
And  bound  me  with  thy  love. 

• 

"  Here,  in  thy  courts,  I  leave  my  vows, 

And  thy  rich  grace  record  ; 
Witness,  ye  saints,  who  hear  me  now,     . 
If  I  forsake  the  Lord." 


MRS.    RUTH   PATTEN.  83 

Mrs.  Patten  was  distinguished  by  there  hav 
ing  been  no  death  in  her  family,  consisting  of 
herself  and  five  children,  for  fifty  three  years. 
She  was  then  called  to  part  with  her  younger 
son. 

From  his  being  an  infant  when  his  father 
died,  and  left,  for  a  time,  to  a  careless 
nurse,  the  impressions  she  then  had,  remained, 
and  produced  towards  him  a  peculiar  tender 
ness  of  feeling.  As  he  grew  up,  he  exhibited 
qualities  adapted  to  gratify  her  wishes,  and 
excite  high  expectations. 

Placed  providentially  in  her  family  after  his 
collegiate  education  was  completed,  he  had 
continued  through  the  following  years,  without 
leaving  her  for  scarcely  a  day.  He  recipro 
cated  her  affection,  being  one  of  the  kindest, 
most  attentive  and  dutiful  of  sons. 

She  indulged  the  hope  that  he  was  pious  ; 
and  this  opinion  was  entertained  by  his  pas 
tor  and  other  Christian  friends.  He  venerated 
the  Scriptures,  appeared  to  understand  and 
approve  evangelical  doctrines,  strictly  ob 
served  the  Sabbath,  regularly  attended  public 


84  MEMOIRS   OF 

worship,  and  discountenanced  all  expressions 
of  irreligion  and  vice  ;  and  was  exemplary  in 
the  family,  in  his  school,  and  in  his  intercourse 
in  general  with  society. 

He  did  not  make  a  profession  of  religion, 
from  a  sense  of  great  unworthiness,  and  the 
fear  of  adding  to  the  number  who  dishonor 
the  gospel  by  a  conduct  contradictory  to  their 
profession.  But  this  was  wrong;  for  if  he 
saw  and  lamented  their  inconsistency,  it  ought 
to  have  been  a  motive  with  him  to  profess  re 
ligion,  that  by  divine  grace  he  might  give  a 
better  example ;  for  which  his  stricter  convic 
tions  of  moral  duty  so  much  the  more  quali 
fied  him. 

In  his  sickness  he  was  meek  and  patient. 
For  several  weeks  there  was  hope  of  his  re 
covery  ;  but  his  relapses  were  frequent  and 
threatening.  His  mother  and  sisters  were  un 
wearied  in  their  attentions  ;  and  not  to  in 
crease  their  trouble,  he  suppressed  all  com 
plaint.  They  conversed  with  him  familiarly 
on  the  subject  of  religion,  in  its  relation  to 
the  experiences  of  the  present  and  future 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  85 

states.  His  mother  repeatedly  prayed  with 
him ;  but  he  one  day  said  to  her,  with  a  smile, 
"  Mother,  you  never  pray  that  I  may  be  re 
stored  to  health,  but  only  that  the  visitation  of 
sickness  may  be  sanctified  to  me."  In  this  he 
acquiesced,  for  he  fully  concurred  with  her,  in 
desiring  the  divine  blessing  on  his  soul,  rather 
than  in  the  external  circumstances  of  his  state. 

He  never  manifested  a  wish  in  contrariety  to 
the  allotment  of  Providence  in  the  situation  in 
which  he  was  placed.  The  only  privation  he 
appeared  to  feel  was,  that  of  attending  public 
worship.  One  sabbath  morning,  as  the  bell 
announced  the  time  of  assembling,  he  sang, 
evidently  affected  at  the  recollection, 

"  How  pleased  and  bless'd  was  I 
To  hear  the  people  cry, 
Come,  let  us  seek  our  God  to  day." 

He  expressed  gratitude  for  the  accommoda 
tions  of  his  situation;  said,  "  he  had  a  pleasant 
home."  He  was  sensible  of  great  obligations 
to  his  numerous  acquaintances  and  friends,  in 
whose  sympathy  and  kind  attentions  he  found 


86  MEMOIRS  OF 

much  solace.  But  chiefly  was  he  thankful  to 
ministers  and  Christians  in  town  and  from 
abroad,  for  their  visits  and  prayers,  their  in 
structions  and  encouragements,  in  which  he 
expressed  great  interest,  not  only  in  words, 
but  by  tears. 

After  a  sickness  of  five  months,  and  being 
reduced  to  great  weakness,  his  departure  was 
very  peaceful.  Having  had  a  troublesome 
night  and  morning,  but  experiencing  some  re 
lief,  he  was  assisted  to  recline  back  in  his 
chair.  He  thought  he  might  sleep,  and  tran 
quilly  closed  his  eyes.  The  influence  of  death 
had  no  distress  which  caused  him  to  open 
them  again  ;  he  soon  expired.  This  was 
Feb.  15,  1830,  in  the  57th  year  of  his  age. 

From  the  great  age  and  infirmities  of  Mrs. 
Patten,  and  the  nature  of  the  bereavement,  it 
was  apprehended  that  she  would  not  survive 
it ;  that  with  all  her  knowledge  and  experi 
ence  of  religion,  her  physical  strength  would 
not  sustain  the  shock.  But  this  was  not  the 
consequence.  God  had  denied  her  nothing 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  87 

she  had  requested  ;  she  believed  that  her  pray 
ers  were  answered,  and  she  was  quieted. 

On  the  occasion  of  the  funeral,  at  which 
there  was  a  large  collection  of  people,  and 
many  who  had  been  the  pupils  of  the  deceas 
ed,  to  walk  in  procession  as  mourners,  a  num 
ber  of  the  friends  of  Mrs.  Patten  watched  her 
with  concern  as  she  sat  in  the  room  with  the 
corpse  ;  but  she  sat  without  apparent  agita 
tion  ;  and  when  called  to  take  the  last  look, 
she  went,  and  gently  stroking  the  face  of  her 
child,  said,  "  My  son,  I  shall  soon  be  with 
you  ;"  and  returned  with  a  maternal  smile,  as 
though  she  had  left  him  asleep  in  his  cradle. 

"  My  son,  I  shall  soon  be  with  you  ;"  how 
comprehensive  and  impressive  the  words  !  I 
shall  soon  be  with  thee  in  the  grave,  where  the 
weary  are  at  rest :  and  I  hope  soon  to  be  with 
thee  in  heaven,  partaking  of  the  fulness  of 

joy- 
Within  the  two  following  years  there  were 

two  successive  trials,  not  a  little  afflictive. 
Mrs.  Patten's  oldest  daughter,  on  whom  the 
care  of  the  family  principally  devolved  ;  and 


88  MEMOIRS   OF 

then  the  second,  who  was  peculiarly  de 
voted  to  her  mother,  incurred  injuries  by  fall 
ing,  which  confined  them,  and  rendered  them 
in  a  measure  helpless.  As  it  is  said,  "  All 
things  work  together  for  good  to  them  that 
love  God,"  Mrs.  Patten  had  this  evidence 
that  she  loved  God,  as  she  derived  and  com 
municated  benefit  from  these  dispensations. 
It  was  a  satisfaction  to  her,  that  these  be 
loved  daughters  were  constantly  in  her  pre 
sence  ;  that  she  could  converse  with  them  on 
the  wrorks  and  ways  of  God  ;  that  she  could 
witness  their  patience  and  resignation,  (one 
of  the  instances  being  attended  with  great 
pain,  and  apprehension  of  a  fatal  issue)  and 
that  they  could  encourage  each  other  in  the 
hope  of  meeting  in  a  state,  where  there  shall 
be  no  sin,  nor  sickness,  nor  sorrow. 

But  chiefly  by  the  example  of  their  mother 
were  the  daughters  encouraged.  She  showed 
a  filial  acquiescence  in  the  will  of  her  hea 
venly  Father.  Her  submission  was  not  con 
strained,  but  an  adoption  of  the  divine  will  as 
her  own.  So  conspicuous  was  this  trait  in 


MRS.    RUTH   PATTEN.  89 

her  character,  that  when  some  external  trou 
ble  has  produced  tremor  and  paleness,  she 
has  exhibited  the  same  pleasantness  of  coun 
tenance  and  conversation,  as  though  nothing 
had  befallen  her. 

In  her  advanced  years,  though  infirm,  she 
walked  to  the  place  of  public  worship  at  least 
once  on  the  Sabbath ;  and  she  made  particu 
lar  exertions  to  do  it  when  the  Lord's  supper 
was  to  be  administered. 

In  the  night  she  had  many  wakeful  hours, 
which  she  employed  in  meditation  and  prayer, 
in  which  her  mind  was  peculiarly  serene,  and 
her  heart  calmly  and  uninterruptedly  engaged. 
She  considered  those  deprived  of  a  great  privi 
lege,  with  whom  all  the  night  was  passed  in  sleep. 
In  the  day  she  blended  these  light  domestic 
cares,  in  which  it  pleased  her  to  take  an  in 
terest,  with  devotional  exercises,  often  speak 
ing  of  God,  and  addressing  him  ;  and  repeat 
ing,  or  singing  verses  of  hymns  appropriate  to 
her  views  and  feelings,  in  which  her  feeble 
voice  was  often  assisted  by  her  children. 

8 


90  MEMOIRS  OF 

The  veil,  between  her  and  the  eternal  state, 
seemed,  at  times,  to  be  lifted  up,  or  to  have 
become  a  transparency ;  on  which  side  of  it 
she  was,  she  appeared  scarcely  to  know.  Her 
heart  was  in  heaven  ;  and  this  induced  her  to 
adopt  the  language  and  praise  of  heaven.  She 
had  enlarged  views,  with  corresponding  im 
pressions,  of  the  moral  state  of  the  world,  and 
of  the  prospects  of  the  church.  Deep  was 
her  sense  of  the  deplorable  condition  of  sin 
ners,  and  of  the  obligations  on  Christians  to 
promote  their  salvation.  She  felt  a  tender 
solicitude  for  those  to  whom  she  was  natu 
rally  related,  that  they  might  all  become  the 
servants  of  Christ,  and  be  engaged  in  promo 
ting  his  cause.  She  looked  forward  with  full 
confidence  to  the  universal  prevalence  of 
the  gospel,  when  "  the  kingdoms  of  this  world 
shall  become  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and 
his  Christ ;"  when  the  "  Sun  of  righteousness 
shall  shine  in  all  nations,  with  healing  in  his 
beams,  and  there  shall  be  nothing  to  hurt  or 
destroy  in  all  the  earth."  For  this  she  fer 
vently  and  constantly  prayed  ;  and  performed 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN. 

and  promoted,  so  far  as  she  was  able,  works 
subsidiary  to  this  end. 

It  can  scarcely  be  said  that  she  had  sick 
ness  before  her  death.  An  indisposition,  from 
a  slight  cold,  affected  her  for  a  few  days.  The 
evening  preceding  her  decease,  she  sang, 
though  in  a  broken  manner,  the  psalm  alrea^ 
dy  transcribed,  concluding  with  the  words, 

"  Witness,  ye  saints,  who  hear  me  now, 
If  I  forsake  the  Lord." 

In  the  morning  she  arose,  and  continued 
with  the  family  till  after  dinner.  She 
then  retired,  for  the  purpose  of  resting  a 
short  time ;  but  continued  on  the  bed 
two  or  three  hours,  in  a  quiet  sleep.  Her 
youngest  daughter  then  spoke  to  her,  to  give 
her  some  medicine  and  refreshment.  She 
awoke,  and  said  she  would  arise.  In  making 
the  attempt,  she  failed ;  and  finding  it  diffi 
cult,  even  with  the  assistance  of  her  daughter, 
she  said,  she  would  lie  a  little  longer.  Her 
daughter  then  offered  her  an  elixir,  which  she 
declined  taking,  from  inconvenience,  and  as 
unnecessary.  But  on  her  daughter's  saying, 


92  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  Dear  mother,  we  wish  you  to  be  well,"  she 
replied,  "  I  know  it,  my  child,"  and  drank  it. 
Her  daughter  then  left  her  for  a  few  moments 
—but  on  her  return,  found  that  she  had  ex 
pired.  Her  eyes  were  closed,  her  counte 
nance  was  placid,  her  hands  were  clasped,  and 
a  tear  was  on  her  cheek,  indicating  that  she 
was  in  an  act  of  supplication  when  her  spirit 
ascended  to  the  region  of  praise. 

Thus  terminated,  December  5th,  1831,  the 
life  of  one  whom  the  Lord  had  sustained 
ninety-one  years  and  nine  months,  and  se 
venty-eight  as  a  professor  of  the  gospel.  It 
is  worthy  of  remark,  that  it  was  her  last  ex 
pression  in  the  public  profession  which  she 
made  of  religion,  "  Ye  are  witnesses  of  my 
solemn  vows  and  engagements  to  be  the 
Lord's  ;  and  ye  will  be  witnesses  against  me 
if  ever  I  forsake  him."  And  it  was  her  last 
expression  in  her  hymn  on  earth, 

"  Witness,  ye  saints,  who  hear  me  now, 
If  I  forsake  the  Lord." 

By  the  grace  of  God  she  was  supported  in 
all  trials,  and  continued  faithful  unto  death. 


MRS.    RUTH   PATTEN.  93 

So  strong  was  the  impression  on  the  minds 
of  her  children  and  friends,  that  she  was  a 
Christian,  and  an  heir  of  immortal  life ;  so 
familiar  had  the  spiritual  state  become,  and  so 
near  had  it  been  brought  to  them,  by  her  con 
versation,  her  hopes  and  praises,  that  they 
viewed  her,  rather  in  relation  to  God  and 
heaven,  than  to  this  frail  world,  and  the 
grave. 

At  her  funeral,  which  was  respectfully  at 
tended,  the  sentiments  of  the  following  hymn 
were  felt  to  be  just : 

"  Ah  !  lovely  appearance  of  death, 
No  sight  upon  earth  is  so  fair ; 
Not  all  the  gay  pageants  that  breathe, 
Can  with  a  dead  body  compare. 

"  With  solemn  delight  1  survey 

The  corpse,  when  the  spirit  is  fled ; 
In  love  with  the  beautiful  clay, 
And  longing  to  lie  in  its  stead." 

WHITFIELD. 

The  following  Sabbath  a  discourse  was  de 
livered  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Hawes,  pastor  of  the 

8* 


94  MEMOIRS    OF 

church  to  which  she  belonged,  on  the  char 
acter  and  blessedness  of  the  Christian  ;  and 
in  a  very  judicious  and  feeling  manner,  he 
executed  her  request,  that,  after  her  decease, 
public  thanks  might  be  offered  to  God,  for  his 
mercy  and  faithfulness  in  being  with  her,  and 
sustaining  her  through  her  long  journey  in  the 
wilderness. 

She  likewise  mentioned,  repeatedly,  that  it 
would  be  a  gratification,  could  she  believe  that 
some  memoirs  would  be  published  of  her  life  ; 
not  that  she  might  be  known  and  commend 
ed,  but  that  she  might  add  her  testimony  to 
the  faithfulness  of  God,  and  furnish  encou 
ragement  to  others  to  trust  in  him,  in  the 
darkest  seasons,  and  in  all  their  trials. 

This  must  have  been  her  motive,  for  she 
was  not  ostentatious.  She  sought,  not  to  ap 
pear,  but  to  be  a  disciple  of  Christ.  She  nei 
ther  prayed,  nor  read  the  Scriptures,  nor 
practised  any  duty  merely  as  a  form.  The  flush 
on  her  moral  countenance  was  not  paint,  but 
the  result  of  pure  and  warm  affection.  Adopt 
ing  the  will  of  God,  she  had  respect  to  all  his 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  95 

commands,  and  submitted  to  all  his  dispensa 
tions.  While  "  she  lived,  she  lived  to  the  Lord ; 
when  she  died,  she  died  to  the  Lord  ;  living 
and  dying,  she  was  the  Lord's" 

They  who  are  thus  devoted  to  the  Redeem 
er,  shall  be  guided  and  supported  ;  they  shall 
"  go  from  one  degree  of  grace  to  another,  and 
finish  their  course  with  joy,  and  shall  be  uni 
ted  to  the  spirits  of  the  just  made  perfect,  in 
the  kingdom  of  heaven." 

The  following  tributes  of  sympathy  with  the 
family,  and  affection  and  respect  for  the  mem 
ory  of  Mrs.  Patten,  are  published  with  grati 
tude  to  the  authors. 

"Feb.  7th,  1832. 
To  S.  R.  and  M.  Patten. 

My  Dear  Friends, 

Your  letter  of  Dec.  31st,  received  but  a 
few  days  since,  gave  me  the  first  intelligence 
of  the  decease  of  my  aged  friend,  and  your 
venerable  mother. 

It  was  a  great  mercy  that  she  was  so  gently 
released  from  a  world  of  sin  and  woe.  The 


96  MEMOIRS   OF 

world  needed  her,  but  she  had  long  blessed  it, 
and  God's  time  had  come  for  receiving  her 
to  her  reward. 

I  sympathize  with  you :  but  this  new  break 
ing  of  tender  ties  may  be  the  very  means  of 
uniting  you  more  closely  to  the  departed 
righteous  person. 

The  death  of  such  a  woman  ought  to  be 
commemorated  by  a  good  poet ;  yet  have  I 
ventured  to  say  a  few  things  of  her,  in  the 
measure  of  poetry,  which  I  enclose. 

May  the  Father  of  mercies  sanctify  this  af 
fliction,  and  make  you  such  as  she  was  whom 
you  mourn. 

I  am,  with  great  regard, 

Your  sincere  friend, 

A." 

ON  MADAM  PATTEN. 

The  aged  pilgrim,  then,  has  found  repose, 
A  shelter  in  the  grave.     Her  joyous  youth, 
By  grace  and  beauty  armed  with  gentle  power, 
Was  quickly  pass'd.    She  felt  the  new  formed  ties 
Oflife  ;  yet  soon,  amidst  a  mother's  cares, 
The  arm  on  which  in  confidence  and  love 


MRS.    RUTH   PATTEN.  97 

She  leaned,  was  smitten  by  a  fatal  shaft, 

And  powerless  fell.     The  widow's  weeds  she  wore, 

Nor  ceas'd  to  wear  for  many  a  year,  till  death. 

But  she  had  joys,  of  which  the  world  thinks  not  ; 

Her  soul  was  stay'd  on  God.     A  Father's  hand, 

In  love  correcting,  not  in  angry  mood, 

In  ev'ry  chastisement  she  seem'd  serene  ; 

She  lifted  up  her  head,  in  faith  and  hope, 

Amid  the  storm.     As  earthly  blessings  fled, 

She  cried,  "Now,  Lord,  I'll  love  thee  for  thyself  alone." 

On  forms  of  youthful  loveliness,  the  eye 
Gazes,  entranced.     The  rare  and  lofty  zeal 
Of  gentleness  and  energy  combined, 
Toiling  for  good  of  out-cast,  wandering  men, 
Is  object  of  delight.    But  neither  youth 
Arrayed  in  beauty,  nor  yet  years  mature, 
Intelligent,  refined,  and  nobly  bent, 
Shed  such  a  radiance  round,  as  hoary  age 
Calm  in  sharp  discipline,  and  grasping  firm 
The  promises  of  God,  blessing  by  prayer, 
A  heedless  world  ;  and  glad  in  glorious  hope 
Of  quick  translation  to  a  home  on  high, 
To  taste  of  heaven's  illimitable  good. 

The  venerable  saint  has  entered  into  rest. 
Without  a  pang,  she  gently  fell  asleep  ; — 
Departed  from  the  earth,  she  blesses  still 
The  lingerers  behind,  by  prayers  of  faith, 


98  MEMOIRS  OF 

Long  uttered,  and  by  bright  example,  too, 
Which  lives  in  many  a  heart  that  knew  her  worth. 
She  blesses  me.     I  venerate  her  name. 

Monday,  Dec.  12, 1831. 
Miss  R.  Patten, 

My  dear  Madam, 

May  I  present  to  yourself  and  sisters,  the 
annexed  slight  tribute  to  the  memory  of  that 
departed  excellence,  which  to  know,  was  to 
revere  and  love  ;  and  with  expressions  of 
sympathy,  and  ardent  wishes  that  our  own 
death  may  be  as  peaceful  and  happy  as  her's 
whose  life  you  have  cheered  by  the  purest  fil 
ial  affection, 

I  remain 

Yours,  respectfully, 

L.   H.    SlGOURNEY. 

Thoughts  on  the  Death  of  Madam  Patten. 

I  thought  that  death  was  terrible.     I've  seen 
His  ministry  on  the  distracted  brow, 
The  glazing  eye,  the  struggles  and  the  groan 
With  which  the  heart  strings  break. 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  99 

Yet  here  was  one 

Whose  summoned  breath  went  forth  as  peacefully 
As  folds  the  spent  rose  when  the  day  is  done. 
Life  still  was  dear  ;  for,  with  a  healthful  rod, 
That  charity,  whose  fruit  is  happiness, 
Did  grow  and  blossom  in  her ;  and  the  light 
Of  her  own  cheerful  spirit,  flowing  out, 
Did  tinge  earth's  rain-drops  with  the  dew  of  heaven. 

Time  had  respected  her,  and  spared  her  brow 
Its  beauty ;  and  her  heart  the  unchilled  warmth 
Of  these  affections,  gentle  and  sublime, 
Which  make  the  fire-side  holy.     Hand  in  hand 
With  these  her  care  had  nurtured,  and  who  joy'd 
To  pay  their  debt  of  gratitude,  she  passed 
Benign  and  graceful  down  the  vale  of  age, 
Wrapp'd  up  in  tender  love.     Without  a  sigh, 
A  change  of  feature,  or  a  shaded  smile, 
She  gave  her  hand  to  the  stern  messenger ; 
And  as  a  glad  child  seeks  its  Father's  arms, 
Went  home. 

She,  in  her  Saviour's  ranks  had  done 
A  veteran's  service  ;  and  with  Polycarp, 
Might  say  to  death  ;  "  For  more  than  fourscore  years 
He  was  my  Lord.     Shall  1  deny  him  now  ?" 
No,  no ;  thou  could'st  not  turn  away  from  Him 
Who  was  thy  hope  from  youth  ;  and  on  whose  word 
Thy  feebleness  of  hoary  hairs  was  staid. 


100  MEMOIRS    OF 

Before  his  Father  and  the  angel  trust 
He  will  adjudge  thee  faithful. 

So,  farewell, 

Blessed  and  full  of  days !     No  more  thy  prayer 
Up  through  the  solitude  of  night  shall  go 
To  bless  thy  children's  children  ;  nor  thy  soul 
Yearn  for  re-union  to  those  kindred  ones 
Who  went  to  rest  before  thee.     'Twas  not  meet 
That  thou  should'st  longer  tarry  from  the  bliss 
Which  God  reserveth  for  the  pure  in  heart. 

Extracts  from  the  Sermon  delivered  by  her 
son,  in  his  church  in  Newport,  December 
llth,  1830,  on  occasion  of  her  death. 
Those  parts  which  described  her  character 
are  omitted,  as  they  are  contained  in  the  pre 
ceding  memoirs. 

1st  Thess.  iv.  13,  14. 

"  But  I  would  not  have  you  to  be  ignorant,  brethren, 
concerning  those  which  are  asleep,  that  ye  sorrow  not 
even  as  others,  which  have  no  hope.  For  if  we  believe 
that  Jesus  died  and  rose  again,  even  so  them  that  sleep  in 
Jesus,  will  God  bring  with  him." 

"  The  greatest  of  worldly  sorrows  is  the 
dissolution  of  those  ties  which  bind  us  to  so- 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  101 

ciety.  Society  is  the  light  of  life.  The 
death  of  a  friend  sometimes  produces  a  sense 
of  desolation  which  changes  the  whole  aspect 
of  the  world. 

Death  is  the  most  despairing  of  events. 
If  a  friend  be  absent  on  a  journey,  we'  expect 
his  return  ;  if  he  be  sick,  we  indulge  the  hope 
of  his  recovery ;  but  when  he  dies,  all  hope 
is  extinguished.  "  He  shall  return  no  more 
to  his  house,  neither  shall  his  place  know  him 
any  more." 

This  cause  of  sorrow  is  common  to  all. 
Yet  were  our  friends  in  that  change  to  cease 
to  exist ;  were  they  to  be  "  as  though  they 
had  never  been,"  the  reason  for  sorrow 
would  be  inexpressibly  enhanced.  But  we 
are  taught  by  Revelation,  that  the  soul  has  a 
continued  existence,  and  that  the  body  shall 
be  restored  to  life,  so  that  it  is  not  dead,  but 
asleep. 

For  this  knowledge  we  are  indebted  sole 
ly  to  revelation.  It  was  not  included,  by  the 
heathen,  in  their  hope  of  immortality.  Their 
hope  was  confined  entirely  to  the  soul.  The 


102  MEMOIRS    OF 

resurrection  of  the  body,  when  suggested  to 
them,  from  its  contrariety  to  nature  and  ex 
perience,  was  rejected  as  incredible.  The 
doctrine,  though  expressed  in  former  revela 
tions,  is  brought  more  clearly  to  light  since 
the  appearance  of  Christ,  and  is  confirmed 
by  his  resurrection  from  the  dead.  He  as 
serts,  that  "  all  who  are  in  their  graves  shall 
hear  his  voice,  and  come  forth."  It  is  said, 
that  "  we  must  all  stand  before  the  judgment 
seat  of  Christ,  and  give  an  account  of  the 
deeds  done  in  the  body."  In  our  text  the  re 
surrection  of  the  saints  is  argued  from  the 
resurrection  of  Christ,  "  If  we  believe  that 
Jesus  died  and  rose  again,  them  also  that 
sleep  in  Jesus  will  God  bring  with  him  j"  and 
the  general  resurrection  of  the  dead  is  argued 
by  the  apostle  from  the  same  topic.  If  there 
be  no  resurrection  of  the  dead,  then  is  Christ 
not  risen  ;  but  Christ  is  risen,  and  become 
the  first  fruits  of  them  that  slept.  For  since 
by  man  came  death,  by  man  came  also  the  re 
surrection  of  the  dead." 

The  knowledge  of  this  doctrine  is  not,  in 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  103 

itself,  a  consolation,  for  in  the  future  state  all 
will  not  be  happy ;  and  to  be  miserable  is 
more  to  be  deplored  than  not  to  exist.  The 
resurrection  will  be  a  blessing  only  to  those 
who  sleep  in  Jesus.  In  order  to  this  it  is  ne 
cessary,  while  in  life,  to  become  his  disciple. 
It  is  impossible  that  any  relation  to  him 
should  commence  when  the  body  is  in  the 
grave  ;  for  there  all  those  intellectual  and 
moral  capacities  and  exercises  of  the  soul,  of 
which  the  body  was  formerly  the  organ,  have 
gone  with  the  soul  to  an  invisible  state,  and 
the  body  is  left  senseless  and  inanimate.  "  In 
the  grave  there  is  no  wisdom,  nor  work,  nor 
device,  nor  knowledge."  Were  it  possible 
for  the  soul,  in  this  separation,  to  experience 
a  change  of  character,  the  body  could  have 
no  interest  in  it,  as  its  operative  and  vital  con 
nexion  with  the  soul  is  dissolved,  and  it  has 
turned  to  dust. 

To  be  a  disciple  of  Christ  is  represented  in 
various  passages  of  scripture,  and  by  various 
figures,  as  being  in  Him.  "  If  any  man  be  in 
Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature."  "  There  is  no 


104  MEMOIRS    OF 

condemnation  to  them  that  are  in  Him." 
"  That  I  may  be  found  in  Him."  "  As  ye  have 
received  Jesus  Christ  the  Lord,  so  walk  ye  in 
Him,  rooted  and  built  up  in  Him."  There  is 
no  phrase  more  expressive  of  the  entire  de 
pendence  of  the  believer  on  Christ,  and  of  the 
complete  influence  of  Christ  over  him.  As  it 
is  said  in  a  natural  sense,  that  "in  God  we 
live,  and  move,  and  have  our  being ;"  so  the 
believer,  by  being  in  Christ,  derives  from  Him 
life,  light,  and  strength  ;  his  defence  from  evil, 
and  all  his  supplies  and  hope  of  good. 

They  who  are  thus  in  Christ  while  they 
live,  when  they  die  sleep  in  Him.  They  are 
mystically  his  body.  As  he  has  arisen  from 
the  dead,  and  ascended  to  heaven,  and  is  in 
vested  with  all  authority,  he  will  release  them 
from  the  bands  of  death,  and  give  them  the 
victory  over  all  the  powers  of  darkness,  and 
crown  them  with  glory  in  his  kingdom.  In 
vain  did  he  die,  in  vain  does  he  live,  if  they 
who  believe  in  him  shall  not  experience  com 
plete  salvation. 

This  subject  is  necessary  to  general  conso- 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  105 

Jation.  It  is  so  to  the  speaker  and  his  family 
connections,  who  have  recently  been  bereav 
ed  of  their  mother.  It  is  the  language  of  our 
feelings,  "  Art  thou  indeed  gone  ?  the  nurse 
of  our  infancy,  the  guardian  of  our  childhood, 
the  guide  of  our  youth  ?  our  counsellor  at  all 
times,  to  whom  we  resorted  in  our  perplexi 
ties  and  troubles,  and  in  whose  love,  prudence, 
and  judgment,  we  so  safely  confided?  Thou, 
who  wast  so  importunate  in  thy  prayers  for 
us  through  life  ;  by  our  bed  side,  in  the  fami 
ly,  and  in  secret  ?  Alas  !  mother,  art  thou 
gone  ?  In  the  house,  so  endeared  to  us  by 
thy  presence,  thou  art  no  where  to  be  found  ; 
not  even  in  the  chamber  where  in  feebleness 
thou  wast  accustomed  to  repose,  not  a  whisper 
of  thy  breath  is  to  be  heard.  Shall  we  then  go 
to  the  place  of  burial  ?  Here  we  are  taught 
that  we  shall  see  thy  face  no  more  ;  that  thy 
mild  eye,  thy  maternal  smile,  and  every  thing 
interesting  in  thy  appearance,  are  obliterated 
in  dust. 

Oppressed  with  grief,  and  encompassed  with 
darkness,  we  hear  a  voice  from  heaven,  say- 

9* 


106  MEMOIRS    OF 

ing,  "  Sorrow  not  as  others  who  have  no  hope. 
They  who  sleep  in  Jesus  will  God  bring  with 
him."  This  assurance,  with  gratitude  we  re 
ceive,  and  will  not  sorrow  as  others  who  have 
no  hope. 

Mother,  thou  art  not  dead.   Thou  hast  gone 
to  the  bosom,  not  of  Abraham,  but  of  Christ, 
Jiis  promised  son,  our  Lord  and  Saviour.  Thou 
art  united  to  the  spirits  of  the  just  made   per 
fect. 

How  great  must  be  her  joy  in  seeing  Him, 
"  whom,  having  not  seen,  she  loved."  How 
great  must  be  her  joy  in  seeing  those  Chris 
tian  relatives  and  friends  from  whom  she  was 
separated  in  tears  !  How  great  must  be  her 
joy  in  meeting  the  patriarchs  and  prophets, 
the  apostles  and  martyrs,  from  whose  writings 
and  example  she  had  derived  so  much  instruc 
tion  and  encouragement!  How  great  must  be 
her  joy  in  seeing  the  mysteries  of  providence 
explained,  and  the  designs  of  God  unfolded, 
and  in  having  the  clearest  view  of  his  perfec 
tion,  and  enjoying  the  unclouded  light  of  his 
countenance !  As  included  in  his  designs,  and 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  107 

faithfulness,  she  knows  that  her  body,  which 
sleeps  in  the  dust,  shall  be  raised  spiritual  and 
glorious  ;  that  as  a  part  of  the  constitution  of 
her  nature,  it  is  in  covenant  with  Christ,  and 
when  he  returns  to  judge  the  world,  it  shall 
awake  in  his  likeness,  and  re-united  to  the  soul, 
she  shall  be  presented  faultless  before  the  pre 
sence  of  his  glory,  and  with  all  the  redeemed, 
shall  have  an  open  and  abundant  entrance 
ministered  to  her  into  the  everlasting  king- 

***  •  * 

dom  and  joy  of  the  Lord. 

This  instance  of  bereavement,  in  which  our 
sorrow  is  so  much  assuaged  by  hope,  is  adapt 
ed  to  our  encouragement.  May  the  life  and 
death  of  our  friend  be  sanctified  to  us,  and  to 
all  who  were  acquainted  with  her.  May  her 
instructions  be  impressed  on  the  minds  and 
hearts  of  her  children.  May  her  example  be 
followed.  May  her  prayers  be  answered. 
May  her  removal  from  the  world  be  followed 
with  an  addition  to  the  church,  and  an  increase 
of  faith  and  obedience  in  the  saints.  Then 
her  death  will  be  a  blessing  as  well  as  her 
life,  and  greater  will  be  our  reason  to  rejoice 
than  mourn. 


108  MEMOIRS    OF 

REMARKS 

On  the  Public  Relation  given  by  Mrs.  Patten, 
of  her  Christian  Experience. 

As  in  her  subsequent  life  there  was  evidence 
of  her  being  a  real  Christian,  as  in  her  tem 
per  in  all  trials,  and  her  works  on  all  occa 
sions,  she  "  adorned  the  doctrines  of  God  our 
Saviour,"  there  must  have  been,  in  the  com 
mencement  of  her  religious  experience,  the  el 
ements  of  the  Christian  character.  These  it 
may  be  useful  to  examine. 

1st.  She  was  convinced  of  sin  ;  that  her 
heart  was  depraved  ;  that  she  was  an  enemy 
to  God. 

As  the  law  of  God  requires  only  love,  all 
sin  must  originate,  and  be  seated,  in  the 
heart.  A  conviction  of  sin  implies,  therefore, 
a  consciousness  of  depravity  of  heart.  To  ex 
culpate  the  heart,  and  yet  condemn  the  con 
duct,  is  absurd  ;  it  is  like  condemning  the 
fruit,  and  yet  justifying  the  tree  that  bears  it. 

She  had  not  been  conscious  of  depravity  of 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  109 

heart,  for  she  had  exercised  natural  affec 
tions,  and  expressed  them,  according  to  her 
natural  .views,  in  all  relations.  In  this  re 
spect  she  was  peculiarly  blameless,  and  might 
say,  she  had  "  kept  the  divine  commands  from 
her  childhood."  But  when  brought  to  see  the 
nature  of  the  divine  law;  that  it  required  her 
to  "  love  God  with  all  her  heart,  and  her 
neighbor  as  herself,"  she  found  that  this  love 
she  had  not  exercised  ;  and  therefore  that 
she  was  a  transgressor. 

In  being  a  transgressor,  she  was  constrain 
ed  to  admit  the  conviction,  that  she  was  an 
enemy  to  God.  In  no  other  temper  of  heart 
than  this  can  the  law  be  transgressed  ;  for 
God  himself  is  the  object  of  that  love  which  his 
law  requires.  To  transgress  is,  therefore,  not 
only  to  violate  the  authority  by  which  the  law 
is  enacted,  but  to  refuse  that  love  for  God 
which  the  precept  requires.  In  transgressing, 
there  must  therefore  be  enmity  to  God. 
There  can  be  no  neutrality  of  character  in 
one,  as  a  subject  of  this  law.  If  the  law  can- 


110  MEMOIRS    OF 

not  be  transgressed  unless  in  enmity  to  God, 
the  transgression  of  it  is  evidently  sinful ;  for 
it  must  be  sinful  to  be  an  enemy  to  God. 

In  correspondence  to  this,  it  is  written, 
"  The  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God.  It 
is  not  subject  to  his  law,  neither  indeed  can 
be  ;"  and  the  apostle  Paul  observes,  that 
"  though  he  had  lived  in  all  good  conscience 
before  God,  yet  when  the  commandment 
came,  sin  revived,  and  he  died ;"  and  that 
"  the  commandment  which  was  ordained  unto 
life,  he  found  to  be  unto  death,"  condemning 
him  for  his  transgression  of  it. 

2.  She  attempted  to  recommend  herself  to 
God,  by  the  works  of  the  law,  but  did  not,  in 
this  way,  find  peace. 

When  one,  without  love,  attempts  to  obey 
the  law,  he  does  not  act  from  the  spirit  of 
obedience  ;  he  obeys,  only  in  letter  or  form ; 
and  therefore  his  works  are  not  truly  right 
eous. 

In  addition  to  this,  when  the  law  has  been 
once  transgressed,  it  is  impossible,  by  future 


MRS.   RUTH    PATTEN.  Ill 

obedience,  though  it  were  perfect,  to  obtain 
justification  by  it,  or  be  relieved  from  condem 
nation.  "The  law  knows  no  mercy."  It  makes 
no  provision  for  pardon,  on  repentance  and 
future  obedience.  It  pronounces  a  curse  on 
"  every  one  who  continues  not  in  all  things, 
written  in  the  law,  to  do  them,"  and  considers 
him  "  who  offends  in  one  point,  as  guilty  of 
the  whole  law."  Not  even  the  saint,  either 
in  this  life,  or  to  eternity,  will  be  justified  by 
his  own  works  ;  for  he  will  ever  be  the  same 
person  who  once  transgressed  the  law,  and 
therefore  has  not  rendered  that  entire  obedi 
ence  which  the  law  requires. 

3dly.  She  was  convinced  that  the  depravi 
ty  of  her  heart  was  the  only  bar  to  her  salva 
tion. 

God  can,  and  does  require  of  a  creature 
nothing  more  than  his  heart ;  more  than 
this  a  creature  cannot  give.  To  give  his  heart 
is  to  give  himself,  and  all  that  he  has. 

From  the  provision  made  in  the  gospel  for 
pardon  and  eternal  life,  to  give  the  heart  to 
God  is  all  that  is  necessary  to  salvation. 


112  MEMOIRS   OF 

Then  the  understanding  will  be  enlightened, 
and  all  the  faculties  of  the  soul  will  be  prop 
erly  exercised,  and  brought  into  submission  to 
God.  With  justice  therefore,  was  she  con 
vinced  that  the  depravity  of  her  heart  was  the 
only  obstacle  in  the  way  of  her  salvation. 

4thly.  She  found  that  she  could  not  give 
her  heart  to  God,  and  that  no  means,  or  cre 
ated  agent,  could  enable  her  to  do  it ;  but 
that  it  must  be  the  work  of  the  Spirit  of  God. 

She  must  give  her  heart  herself,  else  it 
would  not  be  her  act ;  yet  she  could  not  do  it 
of  herself.  There  is  a  contradiction  in  sup 
posing  that  a  heart  inimical  to  God,  should, 
of  itself,  be  inclined  to  love  him,  or  give  itself 
to  him  in  friendship.  Convinced,  through 
her  understanding,  and  by  the  medium  of 
conscience,  of  the  depravity  of  her  heart,  she 
found  it  to  be  a  plague  which  she  could  not 
cure,  a  bond  of  iniquity  which  she  could  not 
break  ;  but  guilty  and  perilous  as  the  exercise 
was,  that  it  would  still  rise  in  opposition  to 
God. 

Nor  could  she  find  relief  from  the  power  of 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  113 

means.  Means  refer  to  some  agent,  without 
whom  they  are  nothing.  What  is  a  pen  with 
out  a  hand  to  write  ?  or  a  harp  without  some 
one  to  touch  its  strings  ?  The  means  of  grace 
refer  to  the  agency  of  God,  and  of  man.  They 
are  means  by  which  God  instructs  and  con 
verts  sinners  ;  and  they  are  means,  in  the  use 
of  which  sinners  become  instructed  and  con 
verted.  In  these  means,  God  and  man  may 
co-operate  ;  or  they  may  make  use  of  the 
same  means,  at  the  same  time.  But  no  one 
can  co-operate  with  God  in  that  power  by 
which  the  means  are  rendered  effectual.  This 
belongs  to  God  alone.  He  can  have  no  part 
ner  in  this  power  more  than  in  his  throne. 
This  is  necessary,  that  salvation  may  be  as 
cribed  to  him,  and  be  to  "  the  praise  of  the 
glory  of  his  grace." 

In  the  sense  explained,  the  apostle  Paul 
speaks  of  himself  and  other  ministers,  as  co 
operating  with  God,  if  the  word  with,  rather 
than  o/",  be  a  just  translation  of  the  passage. 
"  We  are  workers  together  with  God."  He 
co-operated  with  God  in  using  means  to  con- 

10 


114  MEMOIRS    OF 

vince  and  convert  sinners,  and  to  edify  the 
saints ;  but  he  wholly  disclaims  any  part  of 
that  power  by  which  his  labors  were  rendered 
effectual.  Though  he  was  not  "  behind  the 
chiefest  of  the  apostles,  he  was  nothing." 
"  AH  his  sufficiency  was  of  God." 

God  would  always  render  the  means  of 
grace  effectual,  were  it  his  sole  object  in  them 
to  save  mankind  ;  but  it  is  also  his  design  to 
show  the  exceeding  depravity  and  obstinacy 
of  the  sinful  heart,  and  the  justice  with  which 
he  may  destroy,  and  his  grace  in  saving  the 
transgressor.  He  does  not,  therefore,  accom 
pany  with  his  sanctifying  influence,  those 
means  which  are  employed  more  immediately 
and  solely  by  himself.  All  his  dispensations 
are  means  of  grace,  as  they  are  adapted  to 
teach  men  his  righteousness  and  goodness, 
and  bring  them  to  repentance.  This  is  true 
of  the  light  of  the  sun,  and  rain  from  heaven, 
and  of  all  the  divine  mercies  and  judgments. 

For  this  reason,  the  ministry  of  the  most 
eminent  and  faithful  servants  of  God  is  not,  in 
all  instances,  attended  with  success.  This  was 


MRS.  RUTH  PATTEN.  115 

true  of  Noah,  who  preached  to  a  world  of  sin 
ners,  that  remained  impenitent ;  of  Moses  and 
Aaron,  in  their  mission  to  Pharaoh,  who  refa- 
sed  to  obey  the  Lord,  and  let  Israel  go  ;  of  the 
Prophets  and  apostles ;  and  especially  of 
Christ,  who  said  to  the  Jews,  that  they  "  had 
seen  and  hated  both  him  and  the  father,  and 
that  they  had  "  no  cloak  for  their  sins."  And 
he  places  it  in  a  clear  light,  by  the  figure  of 
a  "  barren  fig-tree,"  which  was  spared  anoth 
er  year,  that  every  possible  cultivation  should 
be  bestowed  on  it  ;  and  if  then  it  should  not 
bear  fruit,  it  was  to  be  cut  down. 

In  his  regenerating  grace,  God  operates  ac 
cording  to  the  moral  nature,  or  free  agency  of 
man.  He  does  not  compel,  but  inclines. 
His  influence  is  not  felt,  but  experienced.  It 
is  in  this  respect,  like  the  power  of  Christ  in 
giving  sight  to  the  blind.  From  their  knowing 
that  they  were  once  blind,  but  that  then  they 
saw,  they  knew  that  the  power  of  Christ  had 
been  exerted  in  their  favor. 

The  convert  wills,  which  is  an  evidence  that 
he  is  free.  But  this  will  is  an  effect ;  and  as 


116  MEMOIRS  OF 

there  was  no  adequate  cause  for  it  in  his  own 
heart,  there  must  be  found  a  reason  in  the 
previous  agency  of  God.  They  cannot  be 
simultaneous,  for  a  cause  must,  of  necessity, 
precede  the  existence  of  its  effect.  In  cor 
respondence  to  this,  the  apostle  Paul  styles 
Christians,  "  God's  workmanship,  created  in 
Christ  Jesus,  unto  good  works  ;"  and  he  ex 
horts  them  to  "  work  out  their  salvation  with 
fear  and  trembling,  for  it  is  God  that  worketh 
in  them  to  will  and  to  do  of  his  good  pleasure." 
If  men  depend  on  God  for  the  support,  pro 
gress,  and  completion  of  the  work  of  sancti- 
fication,  they  must  be  dependant  on  him  for  the 
commencement  of  that  work. 

5thly.  The  conviction  of  guilt  and  helpless 
ness,  and  of  her  dependance  on  God,  was  at 
tended  with  great  distress,  and  with  earnest 
desires  that  she  might  know  how  to  give  her 
heart  to  God,  and  with  cries  to  him  that  he 
would  teach  her,  and  enable  her  to  do  it. 

When  dependance  on  God  is  made  a  plea 
for  neglecting  religion,  it  shows  that  the  mind 
is  not  convinced  of  sin,  nor  awakened  to  its 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  117 

awful  consequences.  The  acknowledgment 
is  merely  theoretic,  and  is  adopted  as  a  re 
fuge  for  continued  impenitence  and  disobedi 
ence. 

A  real  conviction  of  sin  and  danger  will 
cause  inexpressible  distress,  and  induce  the 
soul  to  look  to  God  with  earnest  desire  to  be 
taught  the  way  of  deliverance,  and  brought  to 
the  experience  of  it.  This  desire  is  natural ; 
it  is  the  desire  of  happiness,  and  in  itself  con 
sidered,  is  neither  sinful  nor  holy.  It  is  a 
means  by  which  God  brings  the  sinner  to  him. 
It  is  one  of  the  most  important,  and  a  neces 
sary  means  of  grace,  for  they  who  are  without 
the  desire  of  salvation  are  without  natural  as 
well  as  moral  affection  ;  they  are  "  twice  dead, 
and  ready  to  be  plucked  up  by  the  roots." 

It  is  likewise  the  natural  consequence  of  a 
sense  of  dependance  on  God,  to  look  to  him 
for  deliverance.  From  him  alone,  help  can 
come  ;  and  it  is  not  presumptuous  to  cry  to 
him  for  it,  since  salvation  is  possible,  and  the 
blessing  is  desired  in  the  way  that  God  may 
10* 


118  MEMOIRS    OF 

teach,  and  on  the  terms  he  may  enable  the  soul 
to  perform. 

Gthly.  In  this  state  of  mind,  she  had  a  sense 
of  the  sovereignty  of  God ;  that  she  was  in  his 
hands,  and  that  it  depended  on  his  will,  wheth 
er  she  should  be  saved,  or  left  to  perish.  She 
was  a  transgressor  of  his  law,  and  therefore 
in  the  hands  of  God,  as  sovereign.  Though 
he  might  save,  he  might  justly  destroy  ;  and 
as  salvation  would  be  of  grace,  it  must  be  a 
sovereign  act.  In  the  dispensation  of  mercy, 
God  is  influenced  by  what  he  sees  to  be  best. 
That  he  does  not  save  all,  is  not  owing  to  a 
want  of  compassion,  or  willingness  that  they 
should  be  saved  ;  but  to  its  not  being  consist 
ent.  He  is  therefore  sovereign  in  the  deter 
mination  to  do  WHAT  is  BEST.  This  is  the 
character  in  which  he  requires  love  by  his 
law. 

Mrs.  Patten  was  convinced  of  her  depend- 
ance  on  the  will  of  God;  and  awaited,  in  the 
deepest  possible  concern,  his  decision. 

7thly.  She  was  brought  to  light  and  peace, 
by  being  brought  to  love  Christ. 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  119 

She  might  have  expected  relief  from  God, 
as  infinite  in  mercy.  Though  mercy  is  an 
essential  attribute  of  the  divine  nature,  yet  it 
can  be  exercised  only  through  the  medium  of 
the  Son.  To  believe  in  God  as  merciful, 
without  equal  faith  in  the  Son,  is  to  believe 
in  him  in  a  sense  in  which  he  cannot  save. 
Mrs.  Patten  had  heard  of  Jesus  Christ  as  a 
Saviour,  and  assented  to  the  representation  ; 
but  she  had  not  considered,  or  understood  his 
character.  In  heart  she  was  a  Unitarian. 
But  when  God  revealed  his  Son  in  her,  she 
was  "  brought  out  of  darkness  into  his  mar 
vellous  light.  She  realized  the  truth  of  the 
words  of  Christ,  "  He  that  hath  seen  me,  hath 
seen  the  Father,"  and  "  This  is  the  will  of 
Him  who  sent  me,  that  he  that  seeth  the  Son, 
and  belie veth  in  him,  may  have  everlasting 
life." 

8th.  It  is  not  an  objection  to  her  experi 
ence,  that  she  did  not  know,  at  the  time,  that 
it  was  of  a  saving  nature. 

As  Christ  must  be  declared,  before  one  can 
believe  in  him;  so  faith -in  his  character  as 


120  MEMOIRS    OF 

Saviour,  must  precede  the  knowledge  of  one's 
personal  salvation.  As  they  are  distinct,  they 
may  be  separated  by  a  shorter  or  longer  inter 
val  of  time.  Salvation  does  not  depend  on 
the  assurance  of  salvation,  but  on  previous 
exercises  which  are  the  ground  of  that  assu 
rance. 

In  true  faith,  love  for  Christ  is  exercised ; 
and  thus  the  attention  is  naturally  attracted  to 
him,  and  dwells  on  him.  The  believer  sees 
such  an  excellence  and  glory  in  his  character, 
as  to  love  him  and  rejoice  in  him  without 
thinking  of  himself,  or  expecting  or  desiring 
any  other  happiness.  This  corresponds  to 
the  expression  of  the  apostle,  "  whom,  hav 
ing  not  seen,  ye  love  ;  in  whom,  though  now 
ye  see  him  not,  yet  believing,  ye  rejoice  with 
joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory." 

Reflecting  on  this  experience,  she  found  it  a 
testimony  of  her  being  a  friend  to  Christ ;  and 
therefore  that  she  was  his  disciple,  and  an 
heir  of  his  kingdom. 

9th.  She  was  brought  to  exercise  a  new 
love  for  her  fellow  men. 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  121 

As  the  second  command  is  like  the  first,  if 
she  had  a  new  love  for  God,  she  had  a  new 
love  for  her  neighbor.  She  became  sensible 
of  her  relation  to  all  mankind,  as  children  of 
the  same  family  ;  she  perceived  the  distinc 
tion  of  character  between  the  righteous  and 
the  wicked  ;  and  while  she  felt  a  complacency 
in  the  righteous,  she  earnestly  desired  the  re 
pentance  and  salvation  of  the  wicked  ;  and 
thus  was  disposed  to  do  good  to  all  men. 

10th.  It  was  her  desire  to  enter  publicly 
into  covenant  with  the  Lord,  and  to  devote 
herself  to  him  wholly  and  forever  ;  and  to  seal 
her  engagements  by  communing  in  the  supper. 
From  this  she  was  not  deterred  by  a  sense  of 
unworthiness,  nor  was  she  influenced  in  pro 
ceeding  that  she  might  recommend  herself; 
but  she  acted  from  love  to  Christ,  and  regard 
for  all  his  commands,  and  with  confidence  in 
his  grace  and  faithfulness,  that  "  she  should 
be  kept  from  falling,  and  finally  be  presented 
faultless  before  the  presence  of  his  glory." 


True  religion  is  the  impression  of  truth  in 
the  heart.   Christ  prayed  to  the  Father  for  his 


122  MEMOIRS    OF 

people,  "  Sanctify  them  through  thy  truth  ;  thy 
word  is  truth."  The  word  of  God  is  represent 
ed  as  seec?,thc  fruits  of  which  are  all  the  graces 
of  the  Christian  character,  and  all  the  joys  of 
the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

If  there  be  false  doctrines,  there  may  be 
false  experiences  of  religion  ;  for  the  religion 
of  men  ever  corresponds  to  the  doctrines  they 
believe.  This  is  apparent  in  the  general  de 
nominations  of  religion  among  men.  The 
religion  of  idolaters  corresponds  to  what  they 
believe  of  the  various  idols  whom  they  wor 
ship  ;  the  religion  of  the  Mahometans,  to 
what  they  believe  of  the  character  and  doc 
trines  of  Mahomet ;  of  the  Jews,  to  what  they 
believe  respecting  the  writing  of  Moses. 

Among  those  who  profess  to  believe  the 
gospel,  there  may  be  views  of  its  doctrines  so 
contrary  to  truth  as  to  be  inconsistent  with 
the  hope  of  salvation.  Christ  speaks  of  "  a 
light  in  man  that  is  darkness."  Even  his  dis 
ciples  did  not,  in  all  instances,  know  "  what 
manner  of  spirit  they  were  of;"  and  we  are 
directed  to  "  try  the  spirits  that  we  may  know 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  123 

v 

which  is  of  God."  As  all  true  Christians 
agree  in  the  essential  doctrines  of  the  gospel, 
so  their  experiences  agree  in  essential  princi 
ples,  however  they  may  vary  in  circumstances 
and  forms.  In  all  respects  no  two  are  alike. 
From  the  danger  of  delusion,  each  one  should 
have  a  sense  of  the  importance  of  "  examin 
ing  himself,  whether  he  be  in  faith,"  and  any 
assistance  in  this  duty  from  the  experience  of 
those  who  have  finished  their  course  in  faith 
fulness,  there  is  reason  cheerfully  to  improve. 

Mrs.  Patten  esteemed  it  one  of  the  greatest 
privileges  and  honors,  that  so  many  to  whom 
she  was  naturally  related,  and  with  whom  in 
general  she  was  acquainted,  were  professed 
Christians,  and,  especially  ministers  of  the 
Gospel.  In  this  respect,  she  was  distinguish 
ed.  As  it  may  not  displease  the  reader,  and 
will  particularly  gratify  some  of  her  surviving 
relatives,  a  sketch  of  the  affinities  will  be  sub 
joined  ;  though  from  want  of  knowledge,  it 
will  be  imperfect. 

In  addition  to  those  already  mentioned, 
one  of  the  brothers  of  her  mother  was  a  min- 


124  MEMOIRS    OF 

ister,  Rev.  James  Davenport,  and  his  son  was 
a  minister,  Rev.  John  Davenport.  A  second 
brother  of  her  mother,  Hon.  Abraham  Daven 
port,  of  Stamford,  was  a  professor  and  firm 
supporter  of  religion,  and  there  was  much  re 
ligion  in  his  family  connexions.  His  daugh 
ter  married  Dr.  James  Cogswell,  a  skilful  and 
pious  physician,  who  was  son  of  Rev.  Dr. 
Cogswell,  of  Windham,  and  whose  only 
daughter  married  the  Rev.  Mr.  Fisher.  The 
eldest  son  of  Abraham  Davenport,  Hon.  John 
Davenport,  was  pious,  and  married  a  daughter 
of  Rev.  Mr.  Welles,  of  Stamford.  Several  of 
their  children  were  pious  ;  one  of  them  is  the 
wife  of  Judge  Radcliff,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

The  second  son  of  Abraham  Davenport, 
Hon.  James  Davenport,  was  distinguished  for 
ability  and  usefulness.  Three  of  his  daugh 
ters  married  ministers  ;  the  Rev.  Messrs. 
Whelpley  and  Bruen,  of  N.  Y.  and  Rev.  Dr. 
Skinner,  Professor  in  the  Theological  Sem 
inary,  Andover. 

One  of  the  sisters  of  Mrs.  Patten's  mother 
married  the  Rev.  Dr.  Williams,  of  Springfield, 


MRS.    RUTH   PATTEN.  125 

who  had  three  sons  in  the  ministry,  one  of 
them,  Rev.  Dr.  Williams,  of  Tolland.  The 
Rev.  Mr.  Storrs,  who  was  successor  to  Dr. 
Williams  of  Springfield,  married  one  of  his 
grand-daughters,  a  pious  woman.  They  had 
two  sons  in  the  ministry,  Rev.  Mr.  Storrs  of 
Braintree,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Storrs,  president  of 
the  Western  Reserve  college,  Ohio.  In  this 
connexion,  were  Rev.  Mr.  Stebbins,  who  mar 
ried  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Mr.  Streat,  and  Rev. 
Messrs.  Barker  and  Reynolds. 

The  father  of  Mrs.  Patten  was  the  only  son 
of  pious  parents.  One  of  his  sisters  married 
Rev.  Dr.  Pomroy  of  Hebron,  one  of  whose 
daughters  married  Rev.  Dr.  Macclure  of  East 
Windsor,  and  two  of  whose  grand-daughters 
married  ministers,  Rev.  Mr.  Basset,  and  the 
other,  pastor  of  a  church  in  Newark,  N.  J. 

Another  sister  of  the  father  of  Mrs.  Patten 
married  Mr.  Bingham,  a  pious  man,  one  of 
whose  daughters  married  Rev.  S.  Kirkland, 
missionary  to  the  Oneida  Indians,  who  was 
father  of  Rev.  Dr.  Kirkland,  late  president  of 
Harvard  university.  In  this  connexion  is 

11 


126  MEMOIRS   OF 

Rev.  Mr.  Bingham,  missionary  at  the  Sand 
wich  Islands. 

A  son  of  the  eldest  sister  of  Mrs.  Patten 
was  a  minister  of  the  Episcopal  order,  and 
settled  in  Canada.  Mrs.  Patten's  father  mar 
ried,  for  his  second  wife,  Miss  Mary  Brins- 
made  of  Milford,  a  pious  woman,  by  whom  he 
had  three  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom 
became  professors  of  religion,  and  lived  to 
adult  years,  and  were  married. 

The  eldest  son,  Hon.  John  Wheelock,  was 
successor  of  his  father  as  president  of  the  col 
lege,  and  married  Miss  Sechm,  daughter  of  a 
governor  of  St.  Thomas,  and  daughter-in-law 
of  Mr.  Boudinot  of  New  Jersey,  a  pious  wo 
man,  by  whom  he  had  one  child,  a  daughter, 
who  married  Rev.  Dr.  Allen,  president  of 
Bowdoin  college,  Me. 

The  eldest  daughter  married  B.  Woodward, 
Esq.,  for  a  time  a  preacher,  afterwards  pro 
fessor  of  mathematics  in  the  college ;  one  of 
his  sons  is  pastor  of  a  church ;  another  a  mis 
sionary  in  Ceylon  ;  and  one  of  his  daughters 
married  Rev.  Mr.  Searl,  a  missionary  in  S.  C. 


MRS.    RUTH   PATTEN.  127 

The  second  daughter  married  Rev.  Sylva- 
nus  Ripley,  professor  of  Divinity  in  the  col 
lege,  and  was  mother  of  General  E.  W.  Rip- 
ley,  and  General  J.  Ripley,  the  former  of 
whom  married  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Mr.  Allen, 
of  Pittsfield. 

The  third  son  has  a  son  in  the  ministry, 
and  a  daughter,  married  to  Rev.  Dr.  Marsh, 
president  of  Burlington  college,  Vt, 

May  those  of  the  relatives  who  read  this 
list,  be  solicitous  to  secure  the  blessings  of 
that  covenant  into  which  the  Lord  entered 
with  their  fathers ;  and  be  sensible  of  the  ob 
ligations  upon  them  from  so  many  examples, 
to  "shine  as  lights  in^he  world." 


LETTERS. 


IN  the  following  compilation,  it  is  the  object  of  the 
transcriber  to  furnish  a  sample  of  Mrs.  Patten's  man 
ner  of  writing ;  and  it  was  his  purpose  to  add  several 
letters  to  her,  expressive  of  the  piety  and  esteem  of  her 
friends ;  but  the  prescribed  limits  of  the  work  do  not 
admit  of  it. 


LETTER  I. 

TO    HER    SON   W.    P. 

March  8th,  1808. 
My  very  dear  Son, 

We  received  your  affectionate  and  consoling  letter 
of  February,  which  gave  renewed  occasion  for  grati 
tude. 

There  is  no  mother,  I  know,  that  is  so  happy  in  her 
children  as  your's.  I  have  the  satisfaction  of  seeing 
them,  as  I  hope,  "  walking  in  the  truth,"  of  serving 
God  faithfully,  from  a  principle  of  love;  I  pray  that 
we  may  not  deceive  others,  nor  be  ourselves  de 
ceived. 


MRS.    RUTH   PATTEN.  129 

The  goodness  of  God  is  truly  great  in  preserving 
the  lives  of  so  many  of  the  family  ;  and  when  repeat 
edly  threatened,  especially  of  lat«.  I  think  I  can  see 
much  of  the  faithfulness  and  mercy  of  a  covenant 
keeping  God,  in  his  dealings  towards  us.  May  it  be 
our  study  to  bring  forth  fruits  meet  for  Him,  by  whom 
we  have  been  protected  and  nourished.  But,  O  !  my 
son,  what  reason  have  we  to  cry  with  the  Prophet, 
"  My  leanness,  my  leanness  1"  How  unprofitable 
have  we  been,  considering  the  advantages  we  have 
enjoyed  under  divine  cultivation  !  How  indolent  con 
sidering  the  fields  of  labor ;  and  how  little  affected 
considering  how  many  souls,  unconscious  of  their 
danger,  are  moving  beyond  the  gulf  which  cannot  be 
repassed. 

With  respect  to  sketches  of  my  life,  for  which  you 
have  expressed  a  solicitude,  I  have  often  wished  that 
some  were  written,  for  the  benefit  of  my  children,  if 
not  of  others,  to  show  how  little  our  happiness  con 
sists  in  the  abundance  that  we  possess  ;  and  what  en 
couragement  to  "  stand  still  and  see  the  salvation  of 
God." 

The  instances  of  faith,  in  ancient  and  modern  times, 
have  not  appeared  to  me  strange,  in  the  reasonable 
ness  of  implicit  trust  in  God,  seeking  his  guidance,  of 
following  whither  he  leads,  of  the  encouragement,  the 
strength,  the  blessedness  of  his  presence.  May  he, 
from  his  infinite  fulness,  grant  us  all  these  supplies  of 
grace  that  we  need. 

I  do  not  know,  that  for  some  years,  I  have  felt  any 
particular  desires  with  regard  to  the  things   of  the 

11* 


130  MEMOIRS   OF 

world.  I  confer  it  a  duty  to  be  industrious  and 
prudent,  that  \v  o  may  have  enough  for  ourselves,  and 
to  give  to  others  ;  but  in  what  is  spiritual,  I  feel  my 
desires  are  very  strong  to  see  my  posterity  in  the  way 
of  obedience,  examples  of  piety  and  usefulness,  and 
the  cause  of  religion  extend  and  prevail. 

You  know,  my  son,  I  have  been  in  a  great  diversity 
of  trials  ;  but  I  can  say,  in  humility  for  my  great  un- 
worthiness,  that  God  has  fulfilled  his  gracious  promi 
ses  to  us.  There  is  no  earthly  friend  or  property,  that, 
as  an  object  of  confidence,  can  be  compared  with 
Him. 

Your  affectionate  Mother, 

R.  P. 


LETTER  II. 

TO   W.    AND    H.    P. 

May  17,  1*808. 
My  dear  children, 

I  desire  to  bless  God  that  I  am  preserved  to  an 
swer  another  of  your  welcome  letters. 

I  have  had  a  severe  attack  of  disease.  I  felt  very 
cold,  and  in  great  pain  ;  and  determined  to  take  some 
warm  tea,  and  retire  to  bed.  After  a  few  sips,  which 
I  threw  up,  I  became  lethargic,  and  remained  in 
sensible  three  or  four  hours.  A  physician  was  imme 
diately  with  me,  and  every  thing  was  done  that  could 
be ;  but  when  restored  to  recollection,  I  was  still  dis 
posed  to  relapse  into  a  sleep  like  death.  Since  my 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTED.  131 


relief,  I  have  been  very  feeble,  but  %  V  gradually  gain 
ing  strength. 

How  many  times  has  God  appeared?  for  me  !  O, 
may  my  spared  life,  and  all  that  I  have/  be  devoted  to 
him.  Pray  for  me.  I  can  write  but  little^ 

Give  grandma's  best  love  to  your  children,  and  a 
kiss  to  each  of  them.  Tell  them  I  long  to  see  them  ; 
and  that  it  is  my  daily  prayer,  that,  as  they  advance 
in  life,  they  may,  in  heart,  leave  the  world  behind, 
and  press  forward,  with  the  heavenly  inheritance  in 
view. 

Your  affectionate  Mother, 

R.P. 


LETTER  III. 

TO    THE    REV.    H.    B.,    MISSIONARY    TO    THE    SAND 
WICH    ISLANDS. 

July  5,  1830. 
Rev.  and  dear  Sir, 

I  am  happy  to  forward  to  you  a  token  of  affection, 
left  by  my  dear  departed  son,  George.  The  little 
sacred  volume  may  be  a  convenient  pocket  compan 
ion,  in  your  removals  and  excursions  among  the  hea 
then.  My  daughters  will  put  up  a  few  trifles  for 
dear  Mrs.  B.  in  the  package  with  which  this  will  be 
sent. 

We  greatly  rejoice  in  your  prosperity,  by  the  bles 
sing  of  God,  in  your  joint  endeavors  to  advance  the 
kingdom  of  our  glorious  Redeemer. 


132  MEMOIRS   OF 

The  cause  of  missions  lies  very  near  our  hearts. 
There  has  no  day  passed,  without  our  remembrance  of 
you  at  the  throne  of  grace.  God's  goodness  to  you,  and 
all  other  dear  friends  in  that  region,  has  been  very  great, 
and  we  hope,  ere  long,  to  hear  of  greater  things  than 
these,  when  the  spirit  shall  be  poured  out  in  rich  abun 
dance,  the  gospel  run  arid  be  glorified,  and  the  earth  be 
filled  with  the  knowledge  and  glory  of  the  divine  Re 
deemer.  Happy  the  instruments  in  promoting  so  noble 
a  cause. 

And  now  my  dear  friends,  I  know  not  whether  I 
should  ask  you  to  mourn  or  rejoice  with  us  in  the  remo 
val  of  my  beloved  son.  The  latter  becomes  an  unwor 
thy  mother,  who  has  been  instrumental  of  introducing 
into  the  world  an  heir  of  glory,  to  which  state  I  have 
no  reason  to  doubt  he  is  advanced.  Still,  the  bereave 
ment  is  very  sorrowful ;  and  I  doubt  not,  that  an  aged 
mother,  in  her  91st  year,  will  find  an  advocate  in  your 
compassionate  bosom  for  her  grief.  He  was  my  young 
est  child  ;  and  not  long  since,  the  most  healthy  in  the 
family.  But  though  the  Lord  slay  me  and  mine,  yet 
will  I  trust  in  him,  and  when  every  blessing  is  flown, 
will  love  him  for  himself  alone. 

Pray  earnestly  for  us,  my  dear  friends ;  and  for  the 
beloved  land  of  your  nativity,  lest  the  heathen  rise  up 
in  the  judgment  and  condemn  us  ;  for  many  of  them, 
as  there  is  reason  to  hope,  repented  at  the  first  annunci 
ation  of  the  gospel  ;  but  alas  !  we,  who  have  ever  lived 
in  its  meridian  lustre,  are  still  hardened  in  sin. 
"  Come,  Holy  Spirit,  Heavenly  Dove, 

With  all  thy  quick'ning  powers, 
Come,  shed  abroad  a  Saviour's  love, 
And  that  shall  kindle  ours." 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  133 

My  family  unite  with  me  in  best  love  to  yourselves 
and  all  the  brethren  and  sisters  in  your  connection, 
(though  unknown)  for  j»-e  we  not  "  one  in  the  Lord." 
That  the  God  of  grace  may  be  with  you,  is  the  constant 
prayer  of 

Your  affectionate  friend, 

R.  P. 


LETTER  IV. 

THE  ANSWER  TO  THE  PRECEDING,  BY  THE  REV.    H.  B. 

Owyhee,  1832. 
.  Dear  Mrs.  Patten, 

Your  friendly  letter,  I  have  received,  and  the  pre 
cious,  little  sacred  volume,  neatly  and  kindly  marked 
for  me,  having  on  the  silver  clasp,  the  initials  of  your 
dear  departed  son's  name,  G.  J.  P. 

It  will  be  a  pleasure  to  use  these  convenient  pocket 
companions,  in  some  of  my  exercises  among  the  people  ; 
and  should  they  be  preserved  safely,  I  hope  they  may 
be  useful  to  my  little,  only  son,  whose  name  they  bear 
also. 

It  is  a  comfort  to  us  to  be  so  often  assured  that  our 
Christian  friends  pray  for  us,  while  we  attempt  to  break 
up  the  fallow  ground,  and  to  sow  the  good  seed  even 
though  much  may  still  fall  among  thorns,  and  some  by 
the  way  side,  and  some  in  stony  places  ;  for  some  we 
believe  will  fall  in  good  ground,  and,  watered,  as  it 
will  be  by  your  prayers,  will  bring  forth  fruit. 

1  have  recently  returned  from  a  short  tour  of  ten 
days,  to  a  station  about  100  miles  from  me,  where  the 


134  MEMOIRS   OF 

spirit  of  the  Lord,  it  is  believed,  was  influencing  the 
hearts  of  some  of  the  sons  and  daughters  of  paganism, 
to  turn  from  their  sins,  and  to  seek  an  interest  in 
Christ. 

Thus  you  see,  that  you,  who  can  say,  "  There  has 
no  day  passed  without  my  remembrance  of  you  at  the 
throne  of  grace,"  have  not  daily  approached  the  throne 
of  grace  for  us,  and  our  poor  people,  in  vain. 

It  would  have  been  a  comfort  to  you  to  see  what  a 
change  Christianity  has  produced  in  a  few  individuals 
of  this  nation.  If  the  Lord  can  make  such  trophies 
among  the  heathen,  what  can  he  not  do  among  the  chil 
dren  of  Christians,  whose  parents  and  ancestors  have 
laid  up  many  prayers  for  them,  and  for  whom  faithful 
ministers  pray  and  preach,  and  to  whom  the  whole  Bi 
ble,  with  all  its  claims,  speaks  from  day  to  day,  in  a  tone 
of  indisputably  divine  authority  ? 

Let  the  mothers  in  Israel  take  courage,  when  the 
sons  of  the  church  are  ready  to  faint,  God  can  hear 
their  prayers  in  the  obscurest  closet,  and  send  answers 
of  peace,  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth. 

I  have  recently  heard  of  the  death  of  both  my  pa 
rents.  But  the  Lord  can  take  me  up.  I  think  I  can 
trust  in  him. 

Yours,  truly,  H.  B. 

LETTER  V. 
TO  MRS.  s.  L.r  Norwalk. 

May  20,  1828. 
My  very  dear  niece, 
Since  the  decease  of  your  beloved  and  worthy  son, 


MRS.    RTJTH    PATTEN.  135 

in  so  sudden  and  distressing  a  manner,*  I  have  wished 
to  write,  but  the  indisposition  of  myself  and  family  has 
prevented.  I  am  now  scarcely  able  to  hold  my  pen  ; 
but  a  sense  of  duty  and  affection  for  you,  induce  me  to 
make  the  attempt.  The  excellent  character  your  son 
sustained  in  all  his  relations,  though  a  source  of  grief 
in  his  removal,  is  yet  a  reason  for  gratitude  and  conso 
lation,  in  the  hope  that  he  is  taken  to  a  higher  and  a 
better  world. 

We  ought  to  submit,  and  to  submit  with  cheerful 
ness  to  the  divine  dispensation,  since  God  is  our  Fa 
ther,  and  all  his  dispensations  result  from  infinite  be 
nevolence,  and  wisdom,  and  mercy.  Instead  of  mur 
muring,  they  should  cause  us  to  trust  in  him.  Instead 
of  alienating,  they  should  bring  us  nearer  to  him.  The 
nearer  we  are,  the  greater  will  be  our  safety  and  con 
solation. 

Itis  import  ant  to  understand  the  loving  kindness  of 
the  Lord^which  is  often  mysterious.  The  late  Dr.  S. 
of  this  city,  a  man  of  piety  and  experience  in  religion, 
observed,  that "  were  he  to  go  into  his  closet  to  thank 
God  for  his  mercies,  afflictions  would  come  first  on  the 
list."  Sanctified  afflictions  produce  bright  views  of 
God,  and  the  most  sensible  enjoyments. 

Your  son  passed  the  evening  with  us  before  his  de 
parture  for  New  York.  He  said  "  he  had  called,  by 
your  request ;  but  that  in  future,  he  should  call  on  his 

*  By  the  bursting  of  a  boiler  in  a  steam  boat,  on  his  passage 
from  Hartford  to  New  York. 


136  .MEMOIRS    OF 

own  account."     We  were  much  pleased  with  his  so 
cial  qualities,  as  well  as  his  remarks  on  religion. 

We  should  be  highly  gratified  by  an  acquaintance 
with  the  survivors  of  your  dear  family.  I  am  now  87 
years  old,  and  have  experienced  much  of  the  good 
ness  and  faithfulness  of  God,  in  both  mercies  and  af 
flictions,  so  that  I  can  testify  that "  goodness  and  mer 
cy  have  followed  me  all  the  days  of  my  life  ;"  and  I 
hope,  through  grace,  I  shall  "  dwell  in  the  house  of  the 
Lord  forever  ;"  even  that  house  "  not  made  with  hands, 
eternal  in  the  heavens." 

That  you,  and  yours,  may  experience  the  joy  and 
peace  of  believing,  is  the  prayer  of 

Your  affectionate  Aunt, 

R.  P. 


LETTER  VI. 

TO  ONE  OF  HER  GRANDSONS. 

May,  1822. 
My  dear  J., 

Hearing  you  are  about  to  leave  your  father's  house, 
that  you  may  seek  employment  abroad,  let  me  earnest 
ly  entreat  you  to  be  faithful  in  the  service  of  the  Lord. 
If  we  have  no  disinterested  love  for  him,  and  our  fellow 
men,  our  hearts  are  bound  up  in  self,  and  we  must 
be  despicable,  indeed.  May  we  have  just  ideas  of  the 
divine  character  ;  love  it  for  what  it  is  in  itself;  have 
a  just  sense  of  our  own  unworthiness,  and  our  constant 
need  of  divine  guidance  and  protection. 

O,  my  dear  son,  this  will  ever  be   the  first  desire  of 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  137 

fny  heart,  and  it  will  be  my  last  petition,  that  God  would 
grant  you  that  humility,  that  faith,  that  love,  which  con 
stitute  a  child  of  God. 

I  write  as  a  dying  parent  to  a  dying  child  ;  or,  rath 
er,  to  one  that  is  born  to  die.  May  the  Lord  direct 
your  steps,  bless  and  prosper  you,  and  make  you  a  great 
blessing.  There  is  much  to  do  in  the  world.  O,  how 
much  to  restore  it  from  sin  and  disorder.  May  you 
not  be  idle,  but,  animated  by  the  spirit  of  Christ,  be  ef- 
ficient  in  the  sphere  in  which  you  may  be  placed,  and 
shine  in  unfading  light. 

Dear  J., — Farewell.  That  we  may  meet  in  heaven, 
though  we  may  not  on  earth,  is  the  prayer  of 

Your  affectionate,  though  decaying 
Grandmother,  in  her  83d  year. 

R.  P. 


LETTER  VII. 

TO    MRS.    A.  G. 

My  dear  Madam, 

I  rejoice  in  the  information  contained  in  your  let 
ter,  that  God  has  visited  H.  with  the  outpourings  of 
his  Holy  Spirit;  an  event  so  long  desired  by  your 
worthy,  but  almost  despairing,  pastor.  May  the  work 
go  on  and  prosper  abundantly. 

How  wonderful  are  the  condescension  and  grace  of 
our  glorious  Redeemer,  in  arresting  sinners  in  their 
course  to  ruin,  and  turning  them  into  the  way  of  life ; 

12 


138  MEMOIRS    OF 

and  in  his  attention  to  the  support  and  progress  of  hitf 
feeble  and  unworthy  children. 

It  is  good  to  have  a  sense  of  our  weakness,  and  en- 
tire  dependance  on  the  great  Head  of  the  Church  for 
grace  and  spiritual  strength.  But,  oh  !  our  deceitful, 
unbelieving  hearts  !  We  need  repentance  from  day 
to  day,  and  renewed  faith  in  the  great  salvation, 
wrought  out  for  sinners.  May  we  have  our  minds 
stayed  on  God. 

O,  my  friend  !  does  not  your  heart  leap  for  joy,  that 
we  live  to  see  the  light  of  the  present  day  ?  May  the  sun 
of  righteousness,  who  is  becoming  extensively  visible, 
soon  visit  the  whole  earth,  with  divine  light,  and  all 
the  blessing  of  its  healing  influence  !  May  God  visit 
the  vine  in  this  land,  which  his  own  right  hand  has 
planted,  and  prune  and  nurture  it,  and  cause  it  to 
bring  forth  much  fruit. 

In  this  place  the  people  are  active  and  eager  in 
worldly  affairs ;  but  for  this  reason  inattentive  and  in 
sensible  to  religious  interests.  Pray  for  us. 

God  grant  to  you,  and  those  dear  to  you,  the  light  of 
his  countenance  and  all  needed  good  ;  and  if  we  should 
never  again  see  each  other  in  this  world,  may  we  go 
from  a  life  of  prayer  to  an  eternity  of  praise. 
Believe  me 

Your  affectionate  sister  in  Christ, 

R.R 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  139 

• 

LETTER  VIII. 

TO    MRS.    J.  P. 

May  22,  1817. 

My  dear  Sister, 

This  is  the  first  time  I  have  taken  my  pen  in  hand 
since  I  was  brought  to  the  brink  of  the  grave  by  a  dan 
gerous  fall.  Intending  to  go  to  my  chamber,  after 
ascending  seven  or  eight  stairs,  the  railing  by  which  I 
held  gave  way,  and  I  fell  backward  to  the  floor.  Con 
sidering  the  nature  of  the  fall,  and  the  injury  done  to 
my  back  and  neck,  it  is  an  astonishment  to  all  as  well 
as  to  myself,  that  I  was  taken  up  alive.  My  reason 
was  continued  through  the  scene-  1  have  since  ex 
perienced  much  distress  ;  and  now,  after  six  weeks,  I 
am  but  just  beginning  to  walk  alone.  May  the  name 
of  the  Lord  be  praised  for  his  goodness  in  this  won 
derful  interposition,  and  all  the  expressions  of  his 
grace.  He  wounded,  and  in  a  great  measure  has 
healed.  May  my  breath  be  spent  in  praising  him,  till 
I  shall  be  called  to  perform  this  work,  without  sin  or 
sorrow,  in  the  world  of  glory.  O,  my  dear  sister,  what 
continued  reason  have  we  to  live  in  preparation  to 
obey  the  summons  of  our  Lord,  the  time  of  which  is 
unknown  to  us,  and  may  be  sudden. 

We  have  long  hoped  for  an  opportunity  to  see  you 
while  here  ;  but  now  it  is  doubtful,  you  are  so  distant, 
and  the  vicissitudes  of  time  are  so  many  and  great, 
and  such  a  mountain  of  difficulties  lies  in  the  way.  I 
desire  to  bless  God  for  the  hope  we  have  of  a  glorious 


140  MEMOIRS   OF 

immortality  ;  of  meeting  where  our  Saviour  and  our 
dear  friends  are  gone. 

We  have  reason  in  our  widowed  state  to  notice  the 
goodness  arid  faithfulness  of  our  covenant  keeping 
God.  May  we  ever  trust  with  confidence  in  his  pro 
mises,  for  ourselves,  our  children,  the  dear  church,  and 
all  that  is  comprised  in  his  kingdom,  persuaded  that, 
as  he  possesses,  so  he  will  display  infinite  perfection. 

That  God  may  ever  bless  you  and  your  dear  chil 
dren,  is  the  prayer  of 

Your  affectionate  sister, 

R.  P. 


LETTER  IX. 

TO   ONE    OP    HER    GRANDSONS. 

My  dear  W. 

I  hear  of  you  frequently,  and  always  that  you  are 
doing  well,  and  increasing  in  respectability.  But  I 
am  apprehensive  you  have  mistaken  your  calling  ; 
though  yet  it  is  not  too  late  for  me  to  hope  you  may 
change. 

A  number  have  relinquished  the  profession  of  the 
law  for  the  ministry,  and  have  become  eminent,  the 
Lord  sanctifying  their  attainments  in  that  profession, 
and  all  their  accomplishments,  to  this  blessed  work. 

Ministers  and  missionaries  are  much  wanted  ;  of 
lawyers  there  is  a  great  redundance.  By  engaging 
in  the  ministry,  you  would  never  be  out  of  employ 
ment,  and  your  employment  would  be  of  the  highest 


MRS.    RUTH   PATTEN.  141 

kind;  and  whatever  your  privations  and  sufferings 
might  be,  your  recompense  would  be  proportionally 
great. 

Still,  my  dear  Son,  you  may  serve  God  in  the  pro 
fession  in  which  you  are  ;  and  it  is  my  prayer,  that 
you  may  have  grace  to  be  faithful ;  that  you  may  pros 
per,  and  be  a  blessing  in  establishing  what  is  right, 
and  vindicating  the  oppressed. 

Give  my  love  to  your  dear  family,  who  are  included 
with  yourself,  in  the  remembrance  and  prayer  of 
Your  affectionate  Grandmother, 

R.P. 


LETTER  X. 

TO    N.  P.  H. 

My  dear  nephew, 

I  wish  much  to  know  your  sentiments  and  manner 
of  life,  of  which,  from  your  absence  and  distance  from 
me,  I  am  ignorant. 

I  feel  the  more  solicitous  that  your  soul  may  be  in 
health  and  prosper,  as  I  stand  responsible  for  baptis 
mal  obligations.  You  were  committed  to  my  care  at 
a  tender  age,  by  the  request  of  your  dying  mother  ; 
and  from  this  and  other  considerations,  were  much 
endeared  to  us.  1  endeavored  to  dedicate  you  sincerely 
to  the  God  of  your  life,  and  the  Redeemer  who  died  to 
to  save  you,  and  to  the  Spirit  of  grace,  to  sanctify  and 
preserve  you,  and  prepare  you  for  glory.  And  now, 
my  child,  remember  that  these  vows  of  God  are  upon 

12* 


142  MEMOIRS    OF 

yoir.  They  cannot  be  retracted  ;  and  I  trust  you  do 
not  wish  they  should  be.  Go  on,  then,  in  the  strength 
of  the  Lord ;  and  may  he  strengthen  and  abundantly 
bless  you. 

If  I  seem  too  importunate,  my  son,  you  will  excuse 
it,  not  only  from  my  sense  of  duty,  but  from  the  dan 
gers  with  which  you  are  surrounded,  and  my  advanced 
age. 

Corrupt  principles  are  very  prevalent ;  one  of  the 
most  plausible  of  which  is,  that  only  morality  is  neces 
sary  to  salvation.  This  cannot  go  beyond  the  grave. 
At  the  bar  of  God,  repentance  of  sin  and  faith  in 
Christ  are  indispensable  to  acceptance.  Yet  these  are 
productive  of  the  strictest  and  purest  morality  ;  for  we 
cannot  repent  of  sin,  if  we  indulge  one  sin  ;  and  with 
out  repentance,  it  is  in  vain  to  trust  in  Christ  for  par 
don.  I  wish  you  to  be  moral ;  but  with  views  more 
enlarged  and  exalted,  I  pray  that  you  may  be  a  Chris 
tian. 

From  my  advanced  years,  I  must  do  what  I  have 
to  do  quickly.  Soon  I  shall  go,  whence  I  shall  not 
return  ;  and  I  would  neglect  no  effort  in  my  power  to 
promote  the  best  interests  of  my  dear  relatives  and 
others. 

Be  assured  that  I  have  ever  remembered  you  with 
my  own  children,  in  my  addresses  at  the  throne  of 
grace,  that  you  may  have  the  friendship  of  God,  and 
be  faithful  on  earth,  and  blessed  in  heaven. 
I  am 

Your  affectionate  Grandmother, 

R.  P. 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  143 

LETTER  XI. 

TO    G.  W. 

My  dear  nephew, 

What  a  blessing  that  the  world  is  under  the  govern 
ment  of  God,  and  that  we  know  his  wisdom  and  per 
fection  ;  while  it  is  our  indispensable  duty  to  submit  to 
him,  we  may  do  it  with  cheerfulness,  since  he  is,  in  all 
circumstances,  an  object  of  hope. 

I  have  been  informed  by  Mrs.  B.  that  the  hand  of 
the  Lord  is  laid  heavily  upon  you  in  taking  from  you  the 
desire  of  your  eyes  ;  and  one  dear,  not  only  in  your 
own  sight,  but  in  the  sight  of  others.  All  natural  ex 
cellence  is  not  too  lovely  to  die.  It  is  frail  as  the 
grass,  or  the  flower  of  the  field.  But  we  rejoice  in  that 
moral  excellence  which  the  dear  departed  possessed, 
and  that  we  may  hope  she  has  joined  the  spirits  of  the 
just  made  perfect,  and  bears  her  part  in  that  song 
of  praise  to  God  and  the  Lamb  for  which  eternity  is 
not  too  long. 

If  we  resign  ourselves,  we  shall  resign  all  who  are 
dear  to  us,  all  that  we  have  into  the  hands  of  God.  If 
we  murmur  at  bereavements  or  losses,  it  is  an  evi 
dence  we  have  not  devoted  ourselves  to  God.  May 
we  comply  with  this  duty,  and  have  that  peace  which 
passeth  all  understanding. 

My  family  sympathize  with  you,  and  send  their  love. 
Do  write  soon  to 

Your  affectionate  Aunt, 
R.P. 


144  MEMOIRS    OF 

LETTER  XII. 

TO  W.  P. 

Sept.  25,  1831. 
My  very  dear  Son, 

I  was  contemplating  earnestly  to  request  you 
to  come  and  see  what  happiness  we  were  enjoy 
ing  in  temporal  and  spiritual  blessings.  But  the 
great  and  wise  Dispenser  of  all  events  has  seen  fit  to 
bring  a  new  affliction  upon  us,  by  calling  your  sister  R. 
into  a  try  ing  scene,  from  a  fall  which  endangers  her 
limb,  and  even  her  life. 

God  has  doubtless  some  important  purpose  to  an 
swer  by  this  peculiar  dispensation,  that  our  Christian 
graces,  if  any  we  have,  may  be  made  manifest,  and  I 
humbly  trust  the  result  will  prove,  that  this  desirable 
effect  is  not  wholly  unaccomplished. 

Oct.  4. 

I  began  this  letter  when  your  sister's  state  was 
alarming,  and  concluded  not  to  finish  it  till  some  more 
decided  opinion  could  be  formed.  I  think  she  has 
been  enabled  to  exercise  faith  and  patience,  wonder 
fully.  The  physician  says  she  is  doing  well,  and  as 
cribes  this  almost  miraculous  recovery,  under  Provi 
dence,  to  temperance  ;  he  says  she  is  just  25. 

We  are  favored  with  a  very  interesting  and  hopeful 
ly  pious  young  physician  from  New  York,  Dr.  K.  He 
is  very  patient  and  gentle  ;  and  sometimes,  when, 
with  him,  we  view  the  injured  ancle,  he  points  out  the 
operation  of  nature  in  the  tendency  of  the  severed  parts 
to  unite,  and  perform  their  accustomed  functions. 


MRS.    RUTH    PATTEN.  145 

Truly  we  "are  fearfully  and  wonderfully  made;  and 
that,  our  souls  know  right  well.  What  shall  we  ren 
der  to  the  Lord  for  all  his  benefits.  We  will  take  the 
cup  of  salvation,  and  call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord. 
We  will  will  pay  the  vows  which  our  souls  made  when 
we  were  in  trouble.'' 

We  always  rejoice  to  hear  any  thing  to  the  comfort 
and  advantage  of  yourself,  your  family,  or  people ;  are 
glad  an  addition  is  to  be  made  to  your  church.  "  May 
it  be  increased,  with  all  the  increase  of  God-"  O  that 
those  who  have  remained  blind  and  insensible  under 
the  means  of  grace,  might  awake  and  be  converted. 
Then  my  aged  eyes,  which  are  filled  with  tears  of 
sorrow  for  their  perilous  state,  would  weep  for  joy,  at 
their  having  "  passed  from  death  to  life," — that  they 
are  "  no  more  conformed  to  the  world,  but  transform 
ed  by  the  renewing  of  their  mind,  proving  what  is 
that  good,  and  acceptable,  and  perfect  will  of  God." 

God  grant  you  may  be  faithful  and  abundantly  suc 
cessful;  may  he  lift  the  light  of  his  countenance  upon 
you,  and  give  you  peace.  So  prays 

Your  aged,  but  not  forgetful  mother, 

R.  R 


LETTER  XIII. 

TO  G.  W. 


My  dear  Nephew, 

May  your  trials  yield  unto  you  the   peaceable  fruits 
of  righteousness.  May  you  be  brought  more  and  more 


146  MEMOIRS    OF 

to  live  on  God  as  your  portion,  and  to  him  as  the  object 
of  your  existence. 

The  sources  of  happiness  in  God  are  boundless.  If 
our  hearts  are  right  with  him  ;  if  we  read  his  word 
with  understanding,  if  we  pray  in  faith,  we  shall  find 
him  always  near,  a  present  help,  and  shall  partake  of 
the  fulness  of  joy. 

But  O,  our  unbelieving  hearts  !  what  torrents  of  sin 
flow  from  them,  ready  to  overwhelm  us  and  sweep  us 
away !  Truly  we  are  without  hope,  unless  from  the 
grace  of  Christ,  his  sanctify  ing  spirit,  his  atoning  blood, 
his  all  perfect  righteousness.  Blessed  be  his  name, 
that  we  may  look  to  him,  assured  that  he  is  willing, 
and  able,  to  do  all  that  in  us,  and  for  us,  that  we 
need. 

I  have  had  many  distressing  scenes  in  my  walk,  thus 
far,  through  this  wilderness  ;  more  than  I  can  enume 
rate.  But  1  must  confess,  that  I  have  had  a  faithful, 
covenant  keeping  God  at  my  right  hand,  to  whom  I 
know  by  experience,  that  if  we  commit  all  our  con 
cerns,  in  a  child-like  temper,  we  need  not  fear. 

The  time  of  our  trial  is  short, — but  a  few  years.  May 
we  be  patient  unto  the  end.  May  we  "  do  what  our 
hands  find  to  do,  with  our  might ;  for  in  the  grave,  to 
which  we  hasten,  there  is  no  wisdom,  nor  device,  nor 
work,  nor  knowledge." 

May  we  be  faithful,  and  finally  found  of  our  God  in 
peace,  prays 

Your  affectionate  Aunt, 

R.  P. 


MRS.    RUTH   PATTEN.  147 

LETTER  XIV. 

TO  HEV.  W.  A. 

March  28,  1830. 
Worthy  and  dear  sir, 

We  received  your  very  refreshing  letter,  for  which 
we  return  you  our  grateful  acknowledgments.  We 
never  needed  consolation  more.  Though  the  good 
ness  of  God,  through  all  our  trials,  has  been  very  great. 
1  trust  we  have  found,  in  some  good  measure,  by  ex 
perience,  the  fulfilment  of  those  great  and  precious 
promises,  which  you  so  kindly  recommend  to  our 
consideration  ;  and  we  humbly  pray  that  you,  dear 
sir,  may  be  comforted  of  God  with  the  same  comfort 
wherewith  you  have  been  enabled  to  comfort  those 
who  were  in  trouble. 

It  is,  .indeed,  peculiarly  consoling,  that  our  heavenly 
father  does  not  "  infuse  a  single  needless  ingredient  of 
bitterness  in  the  cup  he  giveth  his  children  to  drink." 

Forever  blessed  be  the  Lord  for  the  wonders  of  re 
deeming  love,  and  for  the  rich  variety  of  blessings 
which  we  enjoy,  in  consequence  thereof.  May  all 
that  appertain  to  our  dear  families,  be  partakers  of 
that "  fulness  of  joy,  and  those  pleasures  forevermore, 
that  flow  at  God's  right  hand. 

We  were  much  gratified  to  hear  from  the  habita 
tion  of  my  dear  and  honored  father,  and  from  the  silent 
abode  of  my  beloved  and  honored  mother.  Though 
but  four  years  old  when  she  died,  I  recollect  many 
things  respecting  her,  which  have  proved  beneficial  to 
me  through  life.  It  is  probable  that  your  dear  offspring 


148  MEMOIRS   OF 

may  be  able  to  say  the  same,  many  years   hence,  of 
their  dear  departed  mother. 

Let  us  praise  God,  my  dear  sir,  for  the  great  bless 
ing  of  hope.  May  we  patiently  and  prayerfully  wait 
for  the  salvation  of  God  ;  not  seeking  great  things  here 
below,  for  ourselves,  or  dear  ones.  Has  not  God  said, 
"  Seek  them  not.''  Riches  oftener  prove  a  curse,  than 
a  blessing,  to  their  possessors.  From  my  own  obser 
vation,  through  a  long  course  of  years,  and  the  concur 
rence  of  others,  I  have  reason  to  believe  the  state 
ment  correct. 

For  several  days,  as  strength  would  permit,  I  have 
been  penning  these  lines.  It  may  be  the  last  commu 
nication  you  will  receive  from  me.  Should  I  be  so 
happy  as  to  reach  the  heavenly  shore,  shall  I  not  bear 
the  gladsome  tidings,  that  you  are  daily  growing  in 
grace,  and  training  up  your  dear  children  in  the  nur 
ture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord,  heirs  of  an  "  inherit 
ance  that  is  incorruptible,  undefiled,  %nd  that  fadeth 
not  away  ?"  and  that  the  dear  Seminary,  under  your 
faithful  guidance,  is  rapidly  increasing  in  knowledge, 
human  and  divine,  and  that  from  this  fountain,  are  flow 
ing  "  streams  that  make  glad  the  city  of  our  God  ?" 

And  now,  my  dear  sir,  farewell.     "  The  Lord  bless 
you,  and  keep  you  ;  lift  up  the  light  of  his  countenance 
upon  you,  and  give  you  peace,"  prays 
Your  aged  and  decaying 

friend,  of  90  years, 

R.  P. 


Pag  i  29,  line  4 


'50, 
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